


The Power of New Beginnings

by Imagine333



Series: The Five Elements (AU Verse) [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Empath Ianto Jones, Episode: s01e11 Boom Town, Episode: s02e12 Fragments, Flat Holm, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Magical Ianto Jones, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death - Jack Harkness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 48,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27564319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagine333/pseuds/Imagine333
Summary: PART TWO OF SERIES: The Five Elements (AU verse. After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Series: The Five Elements (AU Verse) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886236
Comments: 19
Kudos: 67





	1. Author's Note

Hi,  
Whoa I haven’t noticed the time going! It’s been a few months since I last posted so I wanted to update you on the progress on the next part of The Five Elements AU, so you didn’t think I’d forgotten you.

  
The start of University has been busy, but fear not I have started writing the next part. As the story aims to cover 6 years worth of content (from the end of Beauty of a Broken Angel to around the Battle of Canary Wharf in 2006) there will be a few time jumps, but so it doesn’t seem rushed I’m trying to limit them as much as possible by adding more juicy chapters. So, it’s looking to be very long!

  
Therefore, I’m aiming to split the story in two. The first half will hopefully start being available by the end of this month (before my next uni assignments come out fingers crossed), while the second half I’ll write over the Christmas break (when I have no work to do – again...).

  
Thank you for all the support and comments on the first part. If anyone has any plot suggestions or lines they would like to see in the story based from the description (I’m terrible with Jack’s innuendos) please comment them and I’ll be sure to try to include them and credit you.

  
Keep and eye on this page – fun times dawning!

  
Thanks for the patience.

  
Imagine333


	2. Chapter 1: A New Job (2000)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 1612

**Note: As promised the first chapter of Part Two: The Power of New Beginnings. At present the first half of this story is roughly 8-9 Chapters. The second half in the new year will approximately bring it to 14-15 chapters in total. Lots of plot to get through! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: A New Job**

_ 2nd March 2000 _

“Second left and then first right onto Beeches Drive and it should be in the far corner of No. 12’s back garden.” Ianto directed over the comm from his seat in the newly refurbished tourist office.

_“You don’t happen to know whether the homeowners decided to go out this afternoon, do you?” Jack replied. “We’re still limited on retcon, and I know you’re not a fan of me using it.”_

“Not a fan is an understatement Jack, but I understand why you have to use it.” While it was true that Ianto was uncomfortable with removing people’s memories, he knew that people weren’t ready to know the truth about aliens and losing a couple hours was nothing like losing nearly 20 years – his whole life. “I’m sure you can think of an excuse though, if they are in.”

_“I’m arriving now, no lights on thankfully. Whatever slipped through could be dangerous. Any changes on the reading?”_

“Nothing this end.”

Ianto rechecked the scans but jumped as a chill wind cut through the office as the front door opened. Irritated, he regained his composure. He hated that he was still caught out with sudden noises but figured it should be expected. “I have a customer; I have to go, sorry.”

_“At this time?” Jack said, almost sounding disappointed. “Can’t you tell them you’re closed?”_

“There’s still half an hour until closing time.” Ianto explained, signalling to the elderly woman who’d entered that he wouldn’t be long. “We’ve only just re-opened. Have to keep up pretences.”

_“How come you’re always right?” Jack laughed. “Looks like it’s just another load of flotsam. Should be back soon.”_

“I’ll have some coffee ready for your return.”

_“Sounds divine as always. Bye.”_

Ianto dealt with the customer quickly after he hung up the phone. The woman had only been looking for opening times to the Millennium centre, and he had no other customers in the following half hour. Closing, he pressed the button to open the secret door leading to the Hub and made his way down to the main area.

It had been a week after his recapture by Torchwood One and subsequent collapse before Jack let him out of the flat, he’d had rented for him, and welcomed him to the Hub for the first time. Ianto suspected it was to give him time to recover further and time for him to consider whether he was certain he wanted to join Torchwood, but they had also used the time to ensure Ianto legally existed again, including being set up with the correct legal documents and bank accounts, now that he was no longer presumed dead.

It had been a hectic time since he’d started. Jack had cleared out the Torchwood One personal from the Hub, in the first day and as agreed during his unconsciousness 6 weeks before, he had indeed severed all ties to London. Ianto found he was reassured that he was no longer under their control, the only small disadvantage for him (although it was something Ianto figured Jack was secretly happy about) was apparently that Jack no longer had to send weekly reports to Hartman and paperwork had begun to pile up on his desk without it having a deadline to be completed by.

So far, his duties involved mainly archiving and communication with Jack in the field, but Ianto had also suggested after his first week that they re-open the Tourist Centre so that they once again had a legitimate cover. Jack had been uncomfortable at first in letting Ianto manage the office after only a few weeks, thinking it was too much too soon, but while his anxiety made communication with customers sometimes challenging, Ianto in fact felt encouraged by the experiences. He’d been away from the world for too long. He wanted to be a part of it again.

Ianto wondered what he must look like to other people coming in and out the tourist office. A polite, young man just starting out his working life. A normal man. He smiled wondering how people would react to knowing his past, to knowing he was empath and that he could control the elements. He and Jack had continued to practise controlling both his physical and psychic abilities in the few spare moments they had when the rift was not busy, but thankfully, Ianto felt he was getting to the stage where he could practice and teach himself while Jack was out, which would for sure speed up his training.

True to his word, Jack had so far refused to let Ianto out of the Hub on fieldwork, and despite knowing it was what he’d agreed to, he was beginning to become restless waiting in the Hub alone for Jack to come back. He knew how dangerous the job was, often feeling Jack’s pain for himself after certain retrievals, though he could tell the other was trying to shield it from him. It worried him that one-time Jack wouldn’t come back, and it surprised him how far he’d come. Just a few weeks ago he wouldn’t have considered leaving into public places for more than a few hours, but now he just wanted to be able to back Jack up.

Instead Ianto had taken to cleaning the Hub in Jack’s absence as a distraction, Jack hinting he might have developed a tad of OCD stemming from his imprisonment, and after researching what he had meant, Ianto was inclined to agree. Although in defence, the Hub didn’t look like it had seen a cloth in over 100 years.

Sensing Jack was close in his mind, he moved into the small kitchenette to the side of the main Hub where Jack had purchased a rather expensive coffee machine. Sure enough, not a couple minutes later, the alarm blared signifying the Captain’s arrival. The other man was carrying a large containment box, which he placed on one of the workstations as Ianto joined him.

“Coffee?”

“Have I ever refused?” Jack took the offered mug and took a large gulp and grinned cheekily. “Your coffee is orgasmic as always. Are you sure you don’t do anything magical to this?”

“Pure coffee only I’m afraid sir…Jack.” Ianto corrected himself, before gesturing to the box on the side. “Anything interesting?”

“Couple Sontaran suit parts, and other bits and bobs.” Jack explained. “Nothing important, though I’m pretty sure I might have recognised a couple of alien sex toys.”

“Well if anyone would recognise a sex toy it would be you sir.” The last few weeks was enough time for Ianto to hear a whole load of Jack’s exotic stories. Whether they were exaggerated or not, Ianto still hadn’t decided.

Jack chuckled. “Was that a joke I just heard?”

“Meant to be.” Ianto returned quietly, trying to hide his nerves, but it was clear from Jack’s emotions that it hadn’t worked, but thankfully the Captain chose not to comment.

“Right. Can you write a report and archive these please? UNIT general called on the way back and without thinking, I promised I’d call him back.” Jack complained as he headed towards the office. “Wish me luck.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack groaned a sigh of relief as he dropped the phone back down onto his desk. The phone call had taken ten times longer than expected and he’d strongly considered getting Ianto to fake a rift alert as an excuse to hang up, but he’d chosen against it. He’d used up too many favours already and he currently wasn’t their favourite person.

It was now very late, but speaking of Ianto, he hadn’t seen him come in yet to let him know he was leaving. After Ianto had been discharged from hospital, Jack had found and purchased a reasonably high-end flat for the former, relatively close to the Hub and though it had taken a while before both Jack and Ianto were comfortable with him travelling to and from the Hub, recently Ianto was making the short journey himself.

Moving over to the glass wall of his office, he saw Ianto bent over numerous reports. It wasn’t uncommon to see Ianto working hard, but the times between him arriving and leaving the last week seemed to be gradually getting longer. It was now nearing ten at night and Ianto had been in since 6am. As Jack came to the doorway, he could see he was almost falling asleep at the desk.

“Ianto, it’s time to go home.” He urged, moving closer to the other.

“I just need to finish these reports. Almost done.”

“You really don’t need to do that Ianto.” Jack said, placing a hand on Ianto’s shoulder. “They can wait till tomorrow. You need to sleep.”

“I’m fine.” Ianto replied, turning back to his work, fiddling absentmindedly with his shirt sleeve that was hiding a permanent mark of his past. Jack had searched more multiple opinions during the first week on tattoo removal, but while the mark was gradually fading with each try, the technology to remove it complete just didn’t exist yet.

Now Jack knew something was wrong. As Ianto became more and more his own person, it was almost becoming as easy for him to read Ianto as Ianto’s empathic abilities could read him. The shorter Ianto’s answers, the more he was hiding. He swung Ianto chair around to face him, to try a direct approach. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Ianto, I know you. It’s something.” He paused, thinking. “Are you not sleeping again?”

“No, no. I am. Just…”

“Just what? Nightmares?”

“No, not nightmares….” Ianto stopped, looking defeated. “I had another dream the other night.”

“A new one?”

“Yes…it was about Rhiannon. I think…” Ianto took a deep breath as if deciding to get off his chest what he’d been holding in all week. “I think I would like to meet my sister.”

**Note: Next chapter won’t be long I promise. I unfortunately have Uni deadlines approaching but will try to post asap.**

**Please Review – I’d love to know your thoughts**

**On another note - who is excited for Captain Jack’s return in the New Year Doctor Who Episode???!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 2: Reunions

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers and working for a Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 1958

**Note: Chapter Two here we go. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Reunions**

_ 3rd March 2000 _

**_“_ ** _Hello?”_

“Mrs Davis?”

_“Speaking. Who’s this?”_

“Captain Jack Harkness here” Jack replied, using his most professional tone. “I realise this might be out of the blue, but I have new information regarding your brother, Ianto Jones.”

_A loud gasp could be heard from the other end of the line. “Ianto?”_

“Yes. Would it be okay if we speak in person as soon as possible?”

_“Yes, Yes of course. I’m free tomorrow afternoon? 3pm?_

“No problem. Thank you.”

Jack hung up the phone and looked over at Ianto who was sitting nervously in the seat opposite. He was thankful Jack had agreed to make the phone call, as he wouldn’t have known what to say, but he was amazed at the brief length of the call.

“You didn’t tell her I was coming?” Ianto queried confused, but Jack grinned enthusiastically and shook his head.

“No, I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

“Hopefully” Ianto replied quietly before moving on. “When are we…?”

“Tomorrow at 3pm” Jack interjected. “Are you sure it’s not too soon?”

“No, tomorrow’s fine.” Ianto assured, trying to sound more confident than he felt. Rhiannon might know and have missed him, but to him she was a stranger other than the pictures Jack had collected in his book.

_ 4th March 2000 _

The following afternoon, Jack drove Ianto to his sisters. After hours of decision that morning, the latter was dressed in his most comfortable jeans and the smart leather jacket Jack had selected for him, but still felt unprepared as he shifted in his seat. Noticing, Jack pulled up a few streets away to allow Ianto to compose himself and to get their story straight.

“You sure you want to tell her the truth?” Jack asked.

“Yes, I don’t want to lie to my sister the first time we meet. I’m not telling her the whole story granted, just parts of it. I don’t want to overwhelm her or her to think I’m crazy but I’m not outright lying.”

“Whatever you feel comfortable with okay. It’s up to you.” Jack confirmed, restarting the engine, and pulling out from their temporary parking space. “Want me to start with the explaining?”

“Thank you, sir”

Jack could tell that while he had calmed some of his nerves, he had not quelled them completely. Not that he was surprised, but Ianto always slipped back into calling him ‘sir’ when agitated. “Anytime you want to leave, just say and I’ll drive you straight home.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Walking up the front path to the row of houses, the door opened before they even got a chance to knock, and Ianto tensed as he found himself caught in a bone-crushing hug. “Ianto? Is it really you?”

“It’s me.” Ianto’s mouth ran dry. Still stunned by the contact, he couldn’t think of what else to say. His sister released him from the embrace, but his relief was short-lived as she promptly smacked him hard on the arm.

“Where the hell have you been? Do you know…?” Distracted by seeing her long-lost brother, Rhiannon didn’t notice his apprehension until he recoiled sharply from her smack. “Ianto?”

Noting his hesitation and Rhiannon’s worry, Jack stepped up beside Ianto, and offered a hand to the latter’s sister. “Rhiannon? My name’s Captain Jack Harkness, we spoke on the phone. Can we come in; Ianto’s got something to tell you?”

Rhiannon led the two men through the hallway and into the living room, gesturing for them to take a seat on the nearest sofa. The inside of the house, Ianto noticed was a lot tidier than the exterior and he thought maybe she didn’t live here by choice. Ten minutes passed like a blink of an eye as Rhiannon offered and prepared drinks for them both, while Ianto soaked in every detail of the surrounding room. Eventually Rhiannon settled on the chair opposite, taking a deep breath in preparation.

“So, what’s this about then?”

“I found Ianto 6 weeks ago, just after new year…” Jack placed his mug down on the table as he started, but he didn’t get very far before Rhiannon interrupted.

“6 weeks! Why didn’t you let me know sooner!”

“It’s complicated…”

“Complicated my ass. What about last night then? I was worried sick all night.”

“I thought it would be a nice surprise…”

“Bloody surprise it was all right. I thought you were coming to tell me you’d found his body or something!”

Jack had the sense to look suitably chastised. “I’m sorry about that Mrs Davis. I thought this conversation would be better in person that’s all and Ianto wanted to meet you.”

“Meet? Bloody hell, Ianto what’s this about?”

Rhiannon turned to Ianto, who had wordlessly been watching Jack and Rhiannon’s conversation. With his strengthening shields, he could now tune out most of the emotions he could sense from others, but if he concentrated, he could specifically focus on Rhiannon’s. With relief, he found he couldn’t feel any resentment or extreme anger, only concern, but unfortunately, she had picked up on the one part of the sentence that led to the difficult conversation he was dreading. He glanced at Jack, eyes asking silently if he should continue, clenching his hands nervously as the older man nodded reassuringly.

“What Jack is trying to say is that he recused me from where I’ve been held for the last five years.” They still didn’t understand where he’d been in the year between going missing and being captured by Torchwood One and feeling it was easier to stick with what they did know Ianto decided not to mention it.

“Held? So, we were right – you were kidnapped! Who? Where? Was it the same person who kill…”?

“Ma’am…” Ianto’s formality quickly stopped his sister’s rant in her tracks. “When Jack mentioned I wanted to meet you, he honestly meant that. The truth is I can’t remember my life before I was captured. I have…amnesia I think Jack called it.”

“You can’t remember anything. Mum? Tad? Nothing at all?”

“Just flashes. Jack helped; he found some pictures online.” Rhiannon was silent for a long time but catching a flash of anger from her Ianto grew nervous. “Is this okay? We can leave…”

“Of course, it’s okay, you daft sod.” Rhiannon returned. Recovering from her shock, she stood up and slowly pulled him into a hug. “I never stopped hoping for this day. And no need to call me ma’am. You always called me Rhi and you’ll always be my younger brother.”

Ianto relaxed into the hug, both holding still for a minute before Rhiannon reluctantly pulled away. “So, if you can’t remember anything…” She turned back to Jack who’d been trying not to intrude. “Where did you find him…who…?”

Rhiannon was staring at them both so intently they had to force themselves not to share a brief look at each other. This was where they’d agreed the story would have to be adjusted.

“I’m in charge of a team running special operations aside from the government here in Wales. Cardiff to be precise.” Jack began, keeping it as close to the truth as possible. “I was attending a meeting at the branch in London when I discovered Ianto being held by some rogue agents.”

“Special Ops my ass. Sounds more like Black ops to me. What the hell did they want from Ianto – he was fifteen for Christ’s sake.”

“We’re not sure exactly why…and to be honest we might never know.”

“Just tell me you dealt with them.”

“They won’t bother Ianto again.”

Rhiannon didn’t look entirely convinced at the vague response but the sound of loud crying from the other room interrupted the conversation as she politely excused herself. The sounds eased a few minutes later as she returned; arms huddled around a small baby who was sucking greedily on a bottle of milk.

“You have a baby?” Ianto asked, trying futilely to hide his shock, but Rhiannon only smiled in response.

“This is David, your nephew. He’s 3 months next week but he’s growing so fast we’ve already started organising his 6-month christening.” She grinned cheekily down at her child as he finished the bottle, before lifting him upright so his head rested on her shoulder. “You should come. I’ll send you an invite.” She paused for a second before continuing. “Would you like to hold him?”

After strong coercion from both his sister and Jack, Ianto hesitantly agreed. David stirred up a little fuss but soon settled in his arms, falling back asleep. Ianto stared at the small bundle nuzzled against his arm, dropping his shields slightly. He couldn’t remember seeing a child before and was curious on what emotions he would sense from someone this young, but he couldn’t get more than a weak feeling of contentment. However, even the small use of his powers, reminded him why he was here, and after a few moments, he looked up, stealing himself for the last question he had to ask.

“I was wondering…the day I went missing…what do you remember. I want to understand what happened.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

At the question Jack’s head shot up. He hadn’t known Ianto was planning on trying to figure out more of what happened, but to be honest he shouldn’t have been surprised.

As Rhiannon began to explain her version of the events, he kept a close eye on Ianto, hoping the new information didn’t spark some violent flashbacks, especially while he was holding a child, but when the story didn’t reveal much more than what they already knew, Jack didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relieved. He wanted Ianto to understand the truth, but he only hoped he didn’t get hurt in the process.

David once again awoke, breaking the sombre mood by throwing up his milk on Ianto’s shirt. Jack cringed at the sight of the younger man’s top, but Rhiannon didn’t blink an eye, recusing the newly found Uncle from his charge.

“Go borrow one of Johnny’s. It might be too big but it’s better than nothing. First door on the right at the top of the stairs.”

As Ianto made his way upstairs, Jack watched as Rhiannon settled a crying David before starting to speak.

“Thank you for all this. Sorry about the lack of warning.”

“No matter now. I’m just pleased he’s back. How’s he been, what’s he been doing the last six weeks?”

“It’s taking a while for him to recover but he’s getting there – slowly. And…he’s actually working for me now. He wanted to stay close, help other people if they are ever in similar situations.”

“From what I understand it was your organisation that put him in this so-called _situation_ in the first place!” Rhiannon snapped, eyes flashing with anger.

“It wasn’t Jack’s fault Rhi.”

Ianto chose that moment to re-enter the room having traded his white t-shirt for a burgundy red shirt. It hung loosely but Ianto had tucked it into his jeans and rolled up the sleeves meaning it hugged his waist tightly but to Jack the colour stood out the most and he grinned. “You look good in red.”

Both siblings blushed dramatically as Ianto groaned. “Jack! Do you flirt constantly? **”**

“Rule no.1. It’s the quickest way to get someone to like you. Well… mostly.”

Jack glanced out the window, only just noticing how late it was becoming. “We’ve taken enough of your afternoon I’m sure. We’d better get going.”

“No stay for dinner, I insist. Johnny said he was picking up takeaway tonight. I’ll give him a ring to get more. He’d love to meet you, Ianto.”

**Note: Thanks for reading. Please review. Your comments always are welcome.**

**Only one assignment left to do now and then I have free reign to write all I want!**

**See you next time – won’t be too long I promise.**

**Imagine333**


	4. Chapter 3: Arguments in a Park at Midnight

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2110

**Note: Chapter Three is here! Slight spoilers to Fragments – yes, it’s the start of some canon – but only minor. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Arguments in a Park at Midnight**

_ 4th March 2000  _

It was nearing midnight before Jack and Ianto finally left his sister’s, with promises to talk soon. Glancing sideways at the younger man in the passenger seat, Jack could see that he was exhausted both physically and mentally from the events of the day and set about driving straight to Ianto’s flat, bypassing the Hub. Fate didn’t seem to agree with him, however, as half-way there his vortex manipulator vibrated, alerting him to a nearby weevil. Diverting with a sigh, a few minutes later Jack pulled the SUV to a grinding halt in a secluded area of Bute Park before reaching into the glovebox for the ever-present weevil kit. “Stay here – I won’t be long.”

“I could help...” Ianto said, reaching for his own seat belt but Jack swiftly shot the offer down.

“No, it’s too dangerous. Stay in the car.”

Not even ten metres from the SUV Jack just about caught sight of a dark blur out the corner of his eye before a huge form tackled straight into his side, throwing him back against a tree so hard he swore he could hear his bones crunching. Struggling to keep sharp teeth away from his face, he hit home a few punches as he reached for a fresh can of spray from his pocket having lost the other in the scuffle. 

Finally getting a grip on the small canister, he shot a high burst into the weevil’s eyes, but Jack had had enough experience not to rely on the strength of the spray for long.

Trying to get distance between them before the Weevil renewed its attack, he used the momentary distraction to topple them both to the ground so he could roll away, however sharp teeth caught the side of his neck as he fell, causing him to ­howl in pain.

The shock combined with the weight of the weevil on top of him made it hard to move, and he resigned himself to another stint of darkness. He braced himself for the inevitable pain, but it didn’t come as the weevil was thrown off him by an invisible force, he turned his head to see Ianto, hand still outstretched as he recovered from the use of his powers.

The flash of relief was short-lived however, snapping straight back into fear and helplessness as the Weevil recovered first and surged towards its new target.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

To be honest, he had not thought about what he’d just done. He’d heard Jack’s shout of pain and had left the SUV before he’d realised it, creating a surge of wind strong enough to throw the weevil off Jack. From his distance and exhausted state, the power had taken more out of him than expected and Ianto couldn’t help but freeze as the weevil charged again, this time in his direction. Forcing himself to move as the Weevil came upon him, he struggled to keep it at arm’s length until Jack, back on his feet, tackled the alien to the floor from the side, quickly injecting a sedative.

“Thanks.”

Ianto could feel the blood pumping round his body, energy flooding him as he reacted to the flow of adrenalin and he reached out to steady himself on the nearest tree. He wondered if this was the rush people spoke of when excusing why they always ran headfirst into danger. Not that he could talk seeing that was what he’d just done, but he couldn’t understand why people would do it for the rush. He’d only done it for Jack.

“What was that!" Jack snapped, jolting him upright as the former finished placing a black bag over the weevil’s head.

“Jones, Ianto Jones.”

Jack watched as Ianto offered his hand as if introducing himself for the first time, but he ignored it. Any other situation Jack would have been amused, he knew he shouldn’t have let Ianto watch James Bond the other week, but right now he was too angry, a fact he didn’t bother shielding from the other.

“I told you to stay in the car!”

Ianto turned serious quickly, but in his defence surprisingly didn’t flinch at the sudden onslaught of emotions Jack was projecting, his shields holding. “I wanted to help. I just saved you.”

“And you nearly got yourself killed in the process! I had it under control.”

“You think so?”

“I had it under more control than you did! You could have…you _are_ hurt!” Jack directed towards his ear and reaching his hand up, Ianto was startled as his hand came back red. It didn’t even hurt, and he was sure Jack had worse.

“So are you…You’re er…” Ianto looked closer, but Jack’s neck barely had a scratch. “You _were_ bleeding…” He amended, confused.

“Had worse from shaving.” Jack returned tensely as he twisted Ianto’s head into the moonlight to get a better look at the wound. A deep scratch ran under his ear, still dripping blood. “This might need stitches. Let’s move.” He finished, not sounding at smallest bit sympathetic as he pulled the unconscious weevil over his shoulder and turned back towards the car without another word.

Ianto winced at the cold tone of voice and reached out with his mind slightly to focus on Jack’s mood but regretted it as he was hit with a wave of anger. He snapped closed the connection, and silently followed the older man back.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

The Hub had once a top-of-the-art medical bay but it had long since been neglected, now used mainly for autopsying and prepping aliens before they were settled in the morgue, but it still had enough fresh supplies to perform simple first aid. Luckily, Ianto’s wound didn’t require stitches and despite his anger Jack was thankful. He’d already experienced first-hand the results of Ianto’s phobia of needles, and thus had found some strong painkillers in tablet form while he cleaned the cut with a sterile wipe. Weevils were a hive of bacteria carried from the sewers.

Ianto remained silent the whole process, avoiding eye-contact. Jack ignored it, too angry to comment, but as the other recoiled from his touch, Jack’s anger fled from him instantly.

“You know I’ll never hurt you right?”

Ianto nodded, but while a large part of him knew Jack would never harm him, a small part of him still feared the anger he could feel from others and the punishment that had always followed. This must have shown in his expression as Jack sighed, dropping the blood spotted cloth down on the table, and meeting his eye-line before continuing.

I’m not going to punish you, not physically, and not for this. Yes, you disobeyed my order, but I know you were only trying to help. I was just worried okay. You’re not trained for this.”

“Then train me.” Ianto whispered, not fully trusting his voice yet.

“No. You promised, no field-work. You’re not ready.”

“That was then. I’m am now… I need to help, not just wait in the Hub wondering if…”

“Wondering if … what?”

“Nothing”

Unexpectedly, Jack didn’t press, instead resuming treating his wound. “You just believed I would hurt you – that’s proof you’re not yet. One day maybe. I’ll promise you this though… I’ll let you know as soon as you are.”

Reluctantly accepting the offer, Ianto nodded, sliding off the table. “I should go.” He mumbled, heading out the bay and towards the cog door, but Jack caught up, catching his arm.

“You’re not going anywhere tonight.” He explained, leading him in the opposite direction. “It’s late and you’re dosed up on painkillers.”

“But where…” Ianto asked confused, but still allowed himself to be led away from the exit and towards Jack’s office. “There’s no beds here…” He stopped in his tracks as Jack opened a hidden porthole on the floor in the far corner of his office revealing a small room down below. Following the other down the short ladder he noticed that while the camp bed took up most the space, it was roomier than it looked from above, containing a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and another door which was ajar to show a mini ensuite bathroom. “What is this place?”

“This is my room.” Jack explained. “You can sleep here tonight.”

“You live here! At the Hub? Why?”

Jack shrugged. “Always have – well almost. It’s easier.” He’d lived at the Hub on and off over the last century finding it easier than moving apartments every decade or so before the neighbours noticed he didn’t age. “Use to have a room downstairs, but I moved everything down here the other month.”

Ianto nodded, sitting down on the bed, but then something occurred to him. “Wait. Where are you going to sleep?”

“It’s fine. I don’t sleep much. I’ll do some of that paperwork you’ve been nagging me for.”

“I don’t want to impose.” Ianto said getting up again, but Jack’s hand stopped him.

“You’re not I offered. Now sleep…you don’t need to get up in the morning.” He grabbed the ladder rungs again to leave. “The archives can wait.”

“Stay.” Ianto shifted across the bed, moving closer to the wall. “There’s enough room just about. The paperwork can wait till tomorrow. You’ve been awake longer than me.”

“Ianto…I shouldn’t…usually people…It means…” Jack found himself stumbling over his words. Despite his personality, it had been a long time since he shared a bed with anyone. It wasn’t that he didn’t find Ianto attractive, but the latter was still learning about life and he did not want it to seem like he was taking advantage.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything. We’re just sleeping…Stay please…”

“Okay.” Jack conceded, removing his braces and boots before he slid in beside Ianto. It was a tight fit, but neither complained.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack stared numbly down at a blank requisition form. He’d waited in bed with Ianto until the latter had fallen asleep but although he’d tried, he was nowhere near tired enough to sleep himself. It was something that had gotten to him when he first discovered his immortality. A long life feels even longer when you can’t sleep, but he’d gotten used to it – just like everything else.

Eventually giving up, he’d come up to his office with the aim to try and make a head start on the growing pile of paperwork amounting on his desk. He wondered when it was that Ianto had gotten better at paperwork than him, but then Ianto was organised with everything. Even while he’d only been a freelancer, he’d still had had reports to fill and would have thought after a century of service he would have grasped what to do, but some of these form’s he’d honestly never seen before.

He sighed as he started to write. Seeing Ianto injured and wanting to be trained had brought back some unwanted memories and while he hadn’t pressed, Jack had his own suspicions on what Ianto had meant when he’d let slip he was worried for Jack. However, he’d felt it hadn’t been the right moment to try explaining his immortality. Part of him knew he shouldn’t keep delaying it – it wouldn’t be long before something occurred that Jack couldn’t hide – but the other part of him guarded his secrets close.

Speaking of secrets, evidence of one other lay in front of him, in the form of his next sheet of paper.

_Flat Holm._

It had been during the week Ianto was recovering that Jack had found two rift victims hidden in the cells and horrified Jack quickly set about establishing a medical facility off island for them to reside in, but it was proving harder than anticipated to maintain. It could really use Ianto’s keen eye, but Jack was reluctant to bring him in quite yet, not from lack of trust, but the screams had shaken him to the core and Ianto’s shields were nowhere strong enough to hold.

Learning about the rift, he’d briefly considered whether Ianto himself had been a victim of the rift, it would explain his missing year, but the rest didn’t add up. You couldn’t gain empathic and elemental abilities just from travelling to another planet or time, and there was also the concern of his father’s death.

Two secrets. Nothing unusual to Jack. After his long life he was bound to have many but why did he have the feeling these specific two would eventually blow up in his face.

**Notes: Thanks for reading. I’m FREEEEEE! I submitted my last assignment this morning, so I have nothing to do but write! (Disregarding chores** **☹) Hopefully that means the rest of the chapters in his half will be posted more frequently.**

**Please Review. I haven’t had as many as usual with this story so far. Thanks to all those who have.**

**I333**


	5. Chapter 4: A Favourite Prehistoric Pet

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

**Note: Some spoilers for Fragments again but it’s pretty clear what for from the title. Anyway here’s the next chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Favourite Prehistoric Pet**

_ 8th June 2000  _

“You certain you’re alright going by yourself?” Jack queried as soon as Ianto opened the front door of his flat to let him in. “There’ll be a lot of new people.”

“Jack stop!” Ianto objected teasingly as he headed back toward his bedroom where he’d been getting dressed. “You’ve asked me ten times already. I’ll be fine – I’ve met with Rhiannon a few times now and I’ll be staying with her.”

“I only asked four times.” Jack mumbled, following the other but waiting outside his closed bedroom door. “I’m just checking you’re sure. I’m sorry I can’t make it.”

“You need to guard the rift. It’s been active too much recently to leave.” Ianto replied through the door. That much was true. While there’d been nothing world-ending, multiple smaller spikes across Cardiff had left them busy. “It’s only my nephew’s christening, what could go wrong?”

Even though he wasn’t superstitious Jack cringed, Ianto obviously hadn’t learnt the concept of not jinxing things yet, but if he was being honest, the latter was right. “Any dress code for tonight?” He asked, changing the subject.

“A suit apparently. Which I don’t own.” Ianto’s bedroom door re-opened, revealing said man dressed in a crisp white shirt, but jeans. “I ordered one to collect on the way. I should be setting off or I’ll be late.”

Jack shook his head. “You’ve still got over two hours but never mind. You­ coming by the Hub after?”

“Might as well seeing I had this afternoon off. Guessing lots of artifacts have been stacking up for archiving.”

“You’d be correct…and there’ll probably be more.”

“I can’t wait.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Despite it being the middle of summer, it was already dark while Ianto drove back from Newport.

The christening itself hadn’t been very long, but while Ianto had guessed there would be many friends Rhiannon had informed about the ‘miracle return’ of her missing brother who would like to meet him, he hadn’t expected to discover a few of his apparent ‘best friends’ from before he went missing had been invited to attend.

If the re-introductions with Jamie and Bryn hadn’t been awkward enough, his embarrassment had increased when he couldn’t help but ask what they’d remembered from that significant day.

He shook off his disappointment at the continuous lack of answers, focusing on driving. He was still new to the skill, especially at night. Jack had forged his driving licence in his first few weeks at Torchwood Three and had taught him himself. That fact however sometimes didn’t reassure him as he wondered whether Jack had ever learnt to drive himself considering the state the SUV was often in.

Something large crashed into the windshield out of the blue (or black should that be) and fell off the side. He shouted aloud struggling on maintaining control of the car, pulling it to a direct stop. He spared two seconds in an attempt to calm himself, taking a few deep breaths before exiting the vehicle.

The headlights shone in the opposite direction to where he was heading meaning Ianto couldn’t see a thing. He briefly considered returning for a flashlight, but instead he sparked a flame in his palm, allowing the small fire to grow until it safely illuminated the road.

A form was slumped by the edge of the grass, unidentifiable. Ianto panicked, hoping he hadn’t killed anyone, however, approaching the dark shape, it was soon clear it wasn’t human. He bent down for a closer look; not certain it was even Earthborn.

Trust him to run straight into an alien while off duty.

He unbalanced from his crouched position unexpectedly as the creature lunged forward. He fell backward and his fire snuffed out from his lost concentration, as a large jaw snapped shut on his jacket. He braced himself, waiting to get bitten, but instead it seemed to be more interested in his pocket. He heard an ominous ripping sound and then the weight vanished from his chest.

He struggled upwards, re-igniting the fire in his palm. A grin formed as he took in what had happened.

The alien in question was sitting a metre away attacking hungrily at a bar of chocolate he’d brought earlier that day. It was a long drive.

“Hey, that’s mine.” He huffed playfully. The creature peered at him at the sound of his voice, but ignored him, turning his head back to its prize. “Oh, you like that do you?”

Ianto stood, straightening out his suit. Thankfully, the tear was only on the inside pocket seam. He didn’t mind. The jacket could easily be fixed, and he was more grateful the creature had decided the chocolate was more to its taste than him. Still, it couldn’t stay out here where another could find it. He’d have to call Jack.

As if by magic – with his power’s Ianto couldn’t exclude the possibility although it was more likely the man was following a rift alert – the familiar rumbling of a vehicle reached his ears. The alien screeched, shooting off towards a selection of warehouses in the distance, his treat deserted on the ground.

Picking the abandoned chocolate up from the road and sliding it back into his – other – pocket, Ianto stood by the side of the road. Less than a minute later, headlights blinded him, the engine cutting out as Jack appeared from round the side of the vehicle.

“Jac- “

“What the hell are you doing here!” Jack shouted and it caught Ianto by surprise. “I told you no field work. A few months hasn’t changed what I said last time.”

Despite the anger being projected, there was also worry mixed in and Ianto wasn’t fazed. He didn’t blame Jack for having the wrong idea and being angry. He had agreed and it was a pretty large coincidence that he was driving near a recent rift spike.

“I didn’t…the thing is…”

“I don’t care why you think you want to help. You’re meant to be in Newport for goodness sake. How did you even know to be here?” Jack barely stopped to take a breath. “Never mind I’m taking you back to the Hub. Now!”

Jack stormed back to the SUV, clearly forgetting about the Rift Alert he’d followed, but it meant Ianto could finally get more than a few words in edgeways.

“So, you’re not going to help me catch this alien then?”

Jack’s head whipped back around so fast it could have snapped. “What?”

“Alien. It flew into one of those warehouses down the embankment.” Ianto explained calmly. “I take it that was what you were here for.”

“Fine.” Jack grumbled and focusing, Ianto smirked as he sensed irritation from Jack for allowing himself to forget the Rift Alert. The Captain opened the door of the SUV calling to him, voice softer. “Get in. You can show me where you last saw it.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

“Whoa! I think we found it. That’s a pterodactyl!” Jack exclaimed; slamming shut the door of the third warehouse they’d searched, the creature nosediving towards them. “Well, that or a Pteranodon. They’re similar enough.”

“A what?”

“Member of pterosaur family. Close relatives to dinosaurs.”

Ianto tried not to show his surprise. Those he _did_ know about. “Not an alien then. It must have come through the rift from the past.”

“Unluckily for him - yes. How did you find it?” Jack asked returning to the SUV. He opened the boot and rooted around the kits.

“It landed on my car!” Ianto exclaimed, feeling defensive in case Jack still thought he’d been attempting to do field work. “I wasn’t looking…”

“I know Ianto. I’m sorry.” The older man interrupted softly while prepping a large hypodermic needle. Ianto gulped at the size.

“That’s the only specialist equipment you brought?”

“Yeah, because we see dinosaurs every day.”

“Well, we might do now.”

A loud cawing could be heard from inside the warehouse as the two returned to the door.

“It’s quite excitable!”

“Must be your aftershave. It’s stronger than normal.” It was true. The normal smell he’d perceived from Jack ever since they’d met was almost overpowering, causing his head to spin.

“I never wear any.”

Jack’s puzzlement was unmistakable in his tone. If that was true, then what was that smell? “You smell like that naturally?”

Jack grinned as if suddenly understanding what he meant. “Fifty First Century Pheromones. You people have no idea!”

While it at least answered his question to some extent, all it did was leave Ianto wondering to what extent humans evolved in the next 3000 years. Empathic and telepathic abilities. Overpowering pheromones. What next.

The noise inside gradually got quieter, the Pteranodon moving away from the door. “Ready for another go?”

“I’m game if you are.” Ianto replied tentatively, fully expecting Jack to tell him to wait outside, but instead all he received was some strict instructions.

“Stay behind me. Don’t do anything stupid. Three. Two. One.”

Together they stormed back into the warehouse, sprinting around the back of the pterosaur as it rushed them again. Eventually it settled down a few metres away, staring as if inspecting them.

Jack put his palm out as if pacifying a pet and not a prehistoric creature. “Hey. We're not gonna harm you. You can't stay here. Come back with us. We’ve got somewhere nice and big where you can fly around.”

“What is your plan?” Ianto whispered loudly, clutching the Captain’s coat sleeve as the other took a step forward.

“I’m going to be the decoy.”

“And it will rip you to shreds!” While it might have been peaceful with him earlier, he had a feeling it would be more inclined to attack if it felt threatened.

“Dinosaurs? Had them for breakfast. Had to. Only source of pre-killed food protein after the asteroid crashed.” He paused at Ianto’s bewildered expression. “Long story. Here you go. One injection to the central nervous cortex. Stay out of sight until I signal that it’s suitably distracted.”

“No”

“What?”

Though uncertain where his sudden confidence had come from, Ianto stuck with it, handing back the hypodermic needle. “It knows me. I’ll be a better decoy.”

“Way too dangerous.”

“ I’ve got a secret weapon.” He pulled the remains of the chocolate bar he’d retrieved earlier. “Chocolate. Preferably dark.”

He moved around Jack before the man could open his mouth to argue, inching closer to the Pterodactyl. “I got your favourite.”

He threw the chocolate towards him as he saw Jack moving behind it. “It’s good for your serotonin level.” He added, pulling the random information he’d read once from somewhere unknown in his head. “If you’ve got serotonin levels.” He added slowly, realising the probable difference.

He cursed his lack of aim as the chocolate fell too far to left and while the Pteranodon was predictably excited by the treat, it turned allowing it to spot Jack from the corner of its eye.

“Whoa!” The reptile took a fast lunge towards Jack, the man calling out in surprise. He grabbed its leg, but it unexpectedly took flight, increasing height to the warehouse ceiling as it tried to shake him off. “Ianto!” The worried shouts soon transferred into laughter, the Captain now almost enjoying his impromptu flight.

Ianto wasn’t sure how Jack managed to inject the sedative, but before he could ponder the Captain was falling towards him, from a height that would no doubt cause injury.

Without his normal apprehension that came with using his powers, he reached out creating a high-speed upwards gale to slow Jack’s descent and moved to stand below him. He braced himself to break the older man’s fall, but nevertheless he collapsed to the ground from the sudden weight, exclaiming loudly as his breath was knocked out of him.

“Sorry” Jack huffed out, followed by a quick word of thanks but Ianto had no time to register it as he caught a glimpse of the now unconscious pterosaur nose-diving towards them. With reactions he didn’t know he had, he spun them over a couple times both laughing uncontrollably, eventually leaving him lying on top.

They laid there for an extended moment, almost frozen, both panting and laughing heavily from adrenaline, their faces a mere inch away from each other. The smell he’d now define as _‘Jack’_ became overpowering once again, unable to focus on anything else as their noses touched briefly. Something hard pressing against his thigh jolted him back to their surroundings, and the mood broke as an unfamiliar sensation washed over him as his body responded. Unnerved and overwhelmed by the new emotions he felt the sudden urge to leave.

“I should go.”

“Ianto…” Jack’s tone was worried and apprehensive, but Ianto ignored it as he rose from the other, hurrying towards the exit before Jack could continue. “Report for training first thing tomorrow.”

Ianto had the feeling it wasn’t what the other had been planning to say but it caused him to pause his steps. The sudden change of view surprised him, but he merely nodded and didn’t turn around.

“Like the suit by the way” Jack continued, and from that one phrase Ianto’s breath caught in his throat and without understanding why, he strangely felt slightly better about the earlier display.

**Notes: Hope you enjoyed this twist on Myfanwy’s discovery. Next chapter won’t be too long in the waiting**

**Please Review.**


	6. Chapter 5: Training and Compromises

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Training and Compromises**

_9 th June 2000_

Unable to sleep more than a couple hours and not entirely sure what Jack had meant by ‘first thing’, Ianto was up and ready before the sun had even risen, arriving at work earlier than normal.

The Hub was still dark as the cog door rolled open and ears still ringing from the deafening alarm, he hoped he hadn’t woken Jack. He didn’t have long to wonder however when said man appeared in the doorway of his office, hands in his trouser pockets but otherwise undressed.

“Eager are we Ianto?” Jack asked cheekily then checked the time. “Hell, it’s not even half five!”

“Couldn’t sleep. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No. I’ve been awake a while.” Jack stared forlornly into the distance for a brief second, but the look vanished so quickly Ianto could have thought he imagined it if it wasn’t for his mind having read the same emotion from Jack. “Might as well get started then, as we’re here. No time like the present. I’ll get dressed.”

As Jack retreated back into the shadow of his office, a loud cawing noise from above reminded Ianto of their newest resident, and he looked up and watched as the pterosaur poked it’s head out of an alcove at the very top of the Hub. He was glad it had seemed to have recovered from the sedative and had found itself a nest, and was started to think that it needed a name, when Jack returned, snapping his last brace into place on his shoulder.

Ianto watched as his eyes roamed over him – almost disappointedly – before commenting, “No suit?”

Ianto rolled his eyes, a trait he’d seemed to have picked up recently.

“I only have one Jack and our new friend up there ripped a hole in it. But it you like them that much I can happily purchase some others.”

The latter grinned pleased, and despite remaining impassive, internally Ianto was quite pleased. He’d actually felt rather comfortable in yesterday’s attire.

He followed Jack down the dark narrow corridors of the lower levels until they opened into a large training room complete with mats and climbing frames. Thinking Jack would be starting easy, he was shocked when Jack continued into the next room – the firing range.

An array of handguns and targets were already laid out in the disused subway tunnel.

“Right. I know guns aren’t your favourite, but I don’t want you – eventually - going into the field unprotected. I mean if you’re in an environment where you can’t reveal your powers. I’ll teach you to disable rather than kill, okay?” Jack started, easing a few of Ianto’s concerns as the other man moved closer. He squeezed his shoulder reassuringly but hesitating on his next words. “If we do this can I offer a suggestion?”

“Like what?” He asked, Jack’s nervousness rubbing off on himself.

“I got a call from Rhiannon last night when I got back. She’s worried. Said you’ve still been deep diving for information, trying to figure out what happened to you.” Jack explained, hastily adding “You haven’t mentioned anything in months…before you say anything, she didn’t I didn’t know.”

Ianto started, wondering where this conversation was heading. “It’s fine. I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. I just want to…”

“I _know._ ” Jack cut in, clearly stressing to second word. “Trust me I know. But I also know what fixating on stolen memories can do.” Jack let his go of his shoulder dropping his gaze to the floor. “I woke up once. Long time ago – before Torchwood, before I came here – missing two years of my life. It changed me, I did things I’m not proud of and I don’t want you slipping into the same problems. So, this is my suggestion okay, I’ll train you – I know you want to help, but in return you ease up on the investigating. If you remember, great, but no obsessing or drastic measures deal?”

“Deal” Ianto stuttered out after only a second of silence, but he wasn’t sure whether that was from knowing he might never get answers or from Jack’s revelation.

Jack seemed to need more though. “Are you certain about this?” He asked, gesturing to the array of weapons near them.

“Yes Jack.” He answered, ensuring that he’d sounded more confident this time, “May I just ask – why now? What made you change your mind?”

“You did.” At what must have been his confused expression Jack elaborated. “You laughed. Yesterday in the warehouse, you were having fun – a proper laugh. I’d never heard that from you before. I’d enjoy hearing that more.”

His expression didn’t change, he hadn’t realised it had been such a big thing for Jack, but the Captain smiled, simply steering him towards the table. “Come on. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Jack passed a pair of ear protectors and goggles to him from the table, donned a set himself and selected a medium sized handgun from the collection. “Compact M1911. Torchwood standard issue. Well other than my trusted Webley of course.” He handed the weapon grip first to Ianto and pointed to one of the targets. “Try it.”

Ianto tested the weight of the weapon in his hand before pointing it towards the target as he’d seen Jack do in the past.

Ianto wasn’t sure what made him jump more, the loud retort of the weapon through the earmuffs, or more likely the recoil of the gun, but the bullet vanished far off from its intended target. His arm ached, and he nearly dropped the gun in shock.

“Sorry should have warned you better. Recoils a bitch.” Jack said. He drew up behind Ianto, so they were almost pressed together. “It’s all in the breathing and stance. Turn sideways to the target and look along your shoulder, down your arm. Form a straight line to the sights and raise the gun…slowly.”

Ianto tried to concentrate on the instructions as Jack altered his stance, but he found it difficult. The memories of the night before were still fresh, and the same uncomfortableness was returning. He tensed at the contact, but his uncomfortableness quickly transformed into guilt as Jack drew back. Ianto didn’t need his empathic abilities to read the concern and underlying hurt on Jack’s face.

“Sorry”

“No. Nothing to be sorry for, it’s my fault.” Jack replied quickly. “I should have said something last night, but I didn’t…”

“Jack.” Ianto cut in. “You’re upset, I can feel it.”

“I know…It’s not your fault. Just know I’m not going to do anything you don’t want. Trust me.”

Ianto had the sudden urge to reassure the older man, realising where the other hurt had come from. “I do. I know you’re not going to hurt me Jack. It just felt…weird.”

“I can bet it does.” To his surprise Jack stifled a giggle but was glad to no longer feel the other’s hurt. The latter turned serious again. “That’s another reason why it’s my fault. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t find you attractive…especially in that suit from yesterday, but you caught me off-guard yesterday.”

“Why…”

“No matter what you’ve learnt from my flirting and personality over the last months, or even remembered, this something you’re certainly not ready for. And one I’m not going to budge on. Your memories are still young Ianto, if I tried anything, I would be taking advantage.”

Jack met his gaze but Ianto nodded, speechless. The silence rang for what felt like minutes before Jack snapped his eyes down to the weapon in his hand. “Come - on. Let’s get back to training.”

Accepting the change of topic, Ianto complied as he re-adjusted his stance to how Jack had instructed and shot another couple of rounds. While they came closer, neither hit the target. Ianto bristled, annoyed.

“Relax Ianto, you’re still too uptight. You don’t need to be perfect or hit bullseyes on the first go. Training takes practice.” Jack took an uncertain step closer, “May I?” At Ianto’s nod he wrapped his hand around Ianto’s helping steady the weapon, all while ensuring he didn’t stand too close. “Now breath in slow…and again…now gently squeeze…”

A shot sounded, the bullet striking the target – a clear bullseye. “That was a joint effort.” Jack laughed, dropping his hand. “Now remember what we just did and have another go yourself.”

**Notes: Only a short chapter I’m afraid but I’m half-way through the next so shouldn’t be long. Hope to get the next three chapters of this first half up by Christmas for you, then I can focus on planning and writing the second half!**

**Hope you enjoyed. If so, please review!** **😊**


	7. Chapter 6: Celebrations

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Notes:** An update only one day later! Success! Enjoy.

**Chapter 6: Celebrations**

* * *

_ 12th August 2000 _

A frown etched on Jack’s face as he studied the two identical artifacts that they’d discovered the week before. They looked eerily similar to the safety googles they’d had downstairs, but heavier and encased some alloy of metal. He recognised them from somewhere, but what they did was escaping his mind.

He glanced over the top of the artifact he was studying as Ianto entered through his office door, the latter raising his eyebrow at what he was doing. He sighed, placing the two objects into his top desk.

“Any closer to figuring those out?” Ianto asked as he set a steaming mug of coffee down on his desk. “You’ve been staring at them for days.”

“Nope. It’s like the answer’s just itching at the back of my mind.” He took a large gulp regardless of the heat. “Thanks. Hey, come sit. You’re right I need a distraction.”

“There’s a distraction right there” Ianto nodded his head to the ever-present pile of paperwork.

“A more exciting distraction if you please.” Jack groaned. “You need a break too; it feels like you’ve been down in those archives for hours.”

“That would be because I have.” Ianto quipped in response as he took a seat in the chair opposite Jack. “And from the state of them, I’ll need a million more.”

Jack blanched. “It can’t be that bad.”

“Jack, when was the last time anyone went down there other than to shove a box in?”

To be honest, Jack could make an accurate guess. The last archivist who’d worked in Torchwood Three had been in the late 1960s, but it wasn’t as if he could tell Ianto that. “I don’t know – I certainly haven’t”

“My point exactly. I've been here months I haven't made a dent. It's gonna take time to organise and come up with a system to implement. Half the item names aren't even in English.”

“Sorry.” Jack cringed. “I know it’s big job, but there’s no rush. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Other than if we fail to save the world because we can’t find a specific file or item, of course it isn’t.”

Jack gave up at Ianto sarcasm. This was one argument he’d never be able to win.

“On other, more exciting topics, you spoken to Rhiannon recently?” Jack asked, trying to keep his tone straight and mind clear. He’d been wondering whether Ianto had noticed the date this week.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. She called me last night said to clear my schedule for Saturday night… she didn't say why?”

“She didn't, did she?” Jack mused, his composure failing into a grin at Ianto suitably confused expression. “Have any idea yourself?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Well, if I was to inform you that on Saturday you have direct permission to do whatever you wanted, what would you say?”

“Err I would say ‘why Saturday?’” Ianto looked across at the large wall calendar that adorned the office wall, his eyes landing on the date and Jack saw as the confusion ebbed away as it clicked. “Oh, the 19th.”

“Oh indeed.” Standing up from his desk chair, he came closer to perch on the edge of his desk. “Now, since it’s the first birthday you can remember, it should be something special. No letting Torchwood interfere. I can manage myself for a day. Do something fun, deal?

Ianto nodded, subconsciously straightening his tie as he stood. Since that night they’d caught their new pet - whom Ianto had named Myfanwy - the former had taken Jack’s suggestion and was currently wearing suits to work most days of the week. “I’m not sure what yet, but I’ll think of something. In the meantime, I’d better order dinner. It’s almost 6. What would you like?”

“I’m not fazed, up to you.”

“I’ll order our usual Chinese order then.”

“Perfect.”

Ianto scooped up his coffee mug from the desk and Jack’s after he’d swallowed the last dregs of the now tepid coffee, before vanishing quickly from the office. Staring into the air in front of his musing, a memory sparked in his mind unexpectedly. Tugging his desk drawer open impatiently, he retrieved the items out again. Having figured out what they were now for, the fragments of a plan were beginning to develop.

_ 19th August 2000  _

Ianto woke late Saturday morning. Used to getting up early and working late he’d used the opportunity of his day off to catch up on some sleep. The combination of admin, training and practicing his powers had taken a lot from him recently.

His phone had been bombarded with messages overnight from his friends he’d reacquainted himself with at David’s christening. They hadn’t met up since then but had exchanged number just in case. Despite being his birthday, he didn't feel much different than any other day, but he couldn't help but feel pleased that people other than Jack and Rhiannon had remembered.

Sending off some thanks in reply, his phone buzzed with another incoming message, this time from Jack.

_Happy Birthday Mr!_

_Things r quiet here - I’ll aim 2 swing by later b4 u head out._

_Enjoy the day off._

_CJH x_

_P.S. Do something fun – that’s an order!_

Ianto rolled his eyes even though knowing no-one could see him. He didn’t know exactly what he could do that was ‘fun’ but he'd researched what was common on people’s birthday, so he had some idea what to expect from his sister later that evening and guessed that could count. He had some books he could read until then.

A knock at the door disturbed him as he finished making breakfast. He wasn’t expecting anyone and so was surprised to find Rhiannon outside his door, one hand ladened with bags and the other holding a baby carrier where David was sleeping peacefully.

“Rhi? Did I miss something? I thought…”

“No No, you’re fine. Sorry for the lack of warning but Johnny got called into work and I have no sitter for David so I’m afraid I need to reschedule dinner for tomorrow, but I couldn't go without dropping these off. Happy Birthday little bro.” She paused, clearly waiting for Ianto to move. “Are you going to let me in?”

Ianto shook himself out of his stupor, remembering his manners. “Oh sorry, Yes of course. I just made some coffee.”

Rhiannon followed him through the kitchen, settling David down on the table then passing her brother the bags. Sensing her clear excitement even through his shields, he opened them curiously. Both were full of wrapped presents, alongside what looked like a homemade coffee cake. Ianto gaped. “Rhi, you shouldn’t have. This is too much.”

His sister didn’t bat an eyelid. “Nonsense. I’ve got lots of missed birthdays to catch up on. Go on. Open them.”

Ianto slowly opened each of the presents, a collection of books and DVDs (James Bond) and new ties beginning to pile up next to David’s carrier.

“I noticed you’ve been wearing suits more recently. What’s with the professionalism – unless you’re trying to imitate Mr Bond.”

“Hadn’t even crossed my mind. Jack says I look good in them, and I actually find them quite comfortable.”

“Well jury’s out with the last part of that one, but I definitely agree with the first. They fit you well, especially now you’ve put on some more weight. You look healthy, and I’m thrilled.”

Rhiannon ended up staying for another hour, eventually excusing herself when David awoke demanding to be fed. Ianto settled onto his sofa to watch a few of his new movies, but by lunch the emptiness of the flat soon got to him.

Needing something more engaging to do, he contemplated going to the Hub. Jack had said that he wasn’t to do any work today, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still go in.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

“Jack?” Ianto walked into the Hub a few hours later. He’d decided against wearing a suit, and was dressed in his most comfortable jeans, and red shirt. The cog door closed behind him and he skimmed his eyes around, the place seemingly empty. “Jack. You here?”

“Ianto?” Jack came bounding down the stairs from the hothouse, confused expression marring his face. “Hey, happy birthday. I was just about to come visit. Didn’t I agree you didn’t have to come in today?”

“You did.”

Jack tilted his head slightly at the vague answer, but Ianto didn’t continue. “Oh. Then why…”

Though entertained at Jack’s bewildered face, Ianto took pity on him and smiled. “It’s fine Jack. I came in cause I wanted to. Couldn’t think of what to do and didn’t want to spend all day alone at my flat.”

The older man’s face copied his smile but didn’t lose its confusion. “I thought you and Rhiannon…”

“Rhiannon called by this morning. Johnny got called into work and they couldn’t find a babysitter in time. Dinner’s rescheduled for tomorrow evening.”

“Oh.” Ianto felt Jack’s disappointment before it crossed his face. It only lasted a second however, the latter expression’s widening back into a grin. “No, never mind. I had a surprise for you, but it’s all good. The rift’s quiet, we can go today.”

“A surprise?”

“Yup. Surprise. Had everything planned and packed for tomorrow, but I just realised it still works just a well tonight. Did you bring your car?”

“Yeah I drove. Why?”

“We’ve got a long drive it seems, and no need to take the SUV. No business today.”

“Where are we going? I didn’t bring anything.”

“I did say surprise, didn’t I?” Jack returned, his tone teasing as he scooped up a packed rucksack from under his desk. “We can swing by yours on the way if you’d like.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

“When were you going to reveal where we’re heading again?” Ianto asked, practically itching after an hour of driving. “We appear to be in the middle of nowhere already.”

“I didn’t tell you a first time.” Jack replied, not taking his eyes off the winding country roads. “It’s not much further though. Just trying to find a specific clearing...”

Jack didn’t elaborate further and Ianto wondered on how the Captain seemed to have devised the perfect method of answering questions in a way that only gave you more questions.

It was early evening when Jack finally slowed the car to a stop on top of a hill overlooking a city in Wales. Climbing out the car, Ianto let the sight before him sink in. The view was incredible, the sun just beginning to set, low and red on the horizon.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I thought so. I found this place a few years ago and thought it’d be apt.”

“Apt for what?”

“Apt for this. Brace yourself, the view is going to get 100% better.”

Jack retrieved two items from his backpack and passed one over. It didn’t take long for him to recognised it for the ‘goggles’ Jack had been obsessed studying recently and Ianto smiled.

“I guess the rule on not taking alien tech out of the Hub doesn’t apply to the Captain.” Ianto declared cheekily.

“Of course it does, but even the Captain gets the benefit of the doubt when he wants to surprise his favourite Welshman on his birthday.” Ianto blushed heavily, as Jack sported his own pair of goggles and continued. “Come on - you’ll love this.”

The instant the goggles passed over his eyes, a brilliant light burst into life above them, a flowing display of coloured lights shimmering across the sky. It was impossible to list every colour that appeared, a mix of reds and blues, with a few streaks of gold every so often. The two dropped to the grass beneath them, eyes glued upwards.

“How did you know about this?”

“It’s a well-known phenomenon by my time. Occurs almost constantly during the Earth’s year. Just invisible to the human eye.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s like the pictures I saw of the Northern lights in Iceland, but with different colours. What are they?”

“I won’t bore you with the science but SOL 3 – that’s Earth, right – it’s off limits at present time to space travel. Humans aren’t ready for even the amount of alien life we see at Torchwood, yet spaceships still pass by frequently. Never come close enough to be spotted, but the contrails cause a disturbance at the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

“Then how do the goggles work?”

“Ah…that I don’t know. It’s ancient technology by the 51st Century. All I remember is the disturbance results in a small amount of electromagnetic radiation, the type that causes the different types of energy like visible light and microwaves at different frequencies. This is the same thing, just at a frequency that won’t be discovered for a quite a few centuries yet. The goggles must be calibrated to that frequency or something. I knew I recognised them when they first came through the rift, just not what they did until the other day.”

“It must have been amazing living in future.”

Jack was silent for a long while, as if lost in memories. “It was - but it had its ups and down, just like the present here. Being here - seeing everything out there and knowing that you still have all those discoveries to come, _how_ you discover them – it’s inspiring.”

Jack paused again, the silence dragging Ianto’s gaze from the sky momentary to look at Jack, the latter’s face, and emotions thoughtful.

“With Torchwood, sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s not all evil aliens and warfare out there. Some species are more peaceful than us humans, the rift just rarely seem to find those.”

Not wishing to spoil the mood further, the pair fell silent, watching the sky in awe for want felt like hours. Eventually, the sky became dark, their view obscured by clouds. Jack returned the goggles to his bag, retrieving something else.

“Here.” Jack passed across a large package wrapped in brown parcel paper. “I also brought you this before I came up with this outing.” 

“Another present! I feel like I’m being spoiled.”

He was joking, and could feel Jack knew that, but the latter still felt the need to respond.

“Good. That’s what it should be.”

Deciding not to reply, Ianto focused on slowly unpicking the cello tape that bound the edges of the paper.

“Oh, come on, rip it!” Jack was as eager as a kid opening his own present and Ianto sped up his unwrapping, Jack’s impatience shared as he felt his emotions as his own.

Folded neatly in the parcel was a sleek, black overcoat. Ianto paused speechless.

“You like it?”

“It’s wonderful.” Ianto stood, shrugging on the coat over his jeans and shirt. It fit perfectly.

“It suits you. I can’t wait to see it over your suits.”

“Thank you – for all of this.”

“None required. You deserved something special this year. Plus, I thought you could do with your own coat before you steal mine - as you seem to love it so much” Jack joked.

“You’re right I do love that coat…” Outdated as it was, Jack’s greatcoat and overall style was very appropriate once you got to know Jack. “…but only on you. It’s safe from me.”

“Well thank god for that!” Jack sighed, exaggerating his relief to the extreme. Staring intently at each other, it didn’t take long for Ianto to break the Jack’s resolve. He burst into laughter, Ianto following soon after.

**NOTES: Thank you for getting this far with me. Hope you loved Ianto’s birthday as much as he did.**

**Next chapter looking like a super long one but I’m too nice to spilt it as that would be a mean cliff-hanger so close to Christmas. Fingers crossed I get it finished to post tomorrow and get 3 in a row.**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 7: Lost in Space & Time

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 4300

 **Notes:** As stated, an extra long chapter! Time for some tension!

**Chapter 7: Lost in Space & Time**

* * *

_ 8th September 2000 _

Ianto was exhausted. In the three months since he’d started field training, it was only during the last month that Jack had actually permitted him to start Weevil Hunting, but here he was for the fifth time that week chasing tall, sharp toothed aliens that didn’t appear to have a sense of personal hygiene.

On top of that Ianto had opted to maintain the same duties he’d had when he started. The times he’d once spent with Jack learning to control his powers had been replaced with fire-arm practice and close combat fighting. However, not wanting to lose the control he’d gained since being free, he’d taken to practising alone in his flat after hours. The long days were starting to take it’s toll, and it wouldn’t be long until his strength ran out. He didn’t understand how Jack did it.

They really needed more people.

They needed some help, and despite his own reservations, it was really as simple as that. He and Jack had been running Torchwood on their own for too long. The archives made no disguise that over the last century Torchwood Three had five or six employees total.

Yet, Ianto knew from experience that this particular conversation would go down well. He’d brought it up once already but had been politely, but sharply shot down. He wasn’t the only person with trust issues.

Cornering the weevil in a dead-end alley, he swore that they never learnt. The creature shied away obediently from a burst of spray, easily allowing Ianto to sedate and cuff it. He sighed gratefully, and momentarily wished they all could go this well, when his comm burst to life loudly in his ear.

“Ianto! Where are you?” Jack’s voice was frantic in his ear. The Captain was still overprotective of him in the field, most often keeping him in sight but they’d had to split up this time when the pair they’d been tracking had scattered.

“Jack, relax! I’m in an alley off Albany Road. One Weevil secured.”

“Oh. Okay, sorry I hadn’t heard… Never mind.” Jack flustered as he tried to justify his panic. “I’ll meet you with the SUV. Mine vanished back into the sewers.”

Returning to the Hub, Ianto put on some coffee for them both before settling on starting the endless paperwork, but just couldn’t seem to focus. It wasn’t overly late – only nearing seven pm – but it felt as though he’d been up over 24hours and the now empty mug beside him hadn’t seemed to have made much of an effect.

Just as he thought it might be time to give up for the evening, Jack came speeding out his office, shrugging his coat on in the process. “Police just called. There’s a couple Blowfish rioting through Capitol Shopping Centre. Going need extra hands on this one. You coming?”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto matched Jack’s pace as the Captain strode confidently past the police barriers that surrounded the shopping centre. The carpark was crowded with late evening shoppers, the police, and ambulances but Jack headed straight for the officer guarding the door.

“Torchwood?” There was no hiding the snide tone in his voice, even without Ianto sensing it for himself.

“That’s us. Where we looking?”

“Top floor, far side. Crazy guys in masks – one of your specialties it seems – but then beggars can’t be choosers eh?”

Ianto felt Jack tense in anger at the jibe but the other ignored it. “Stay here, no-one goes until I give the ‘all clear’. Crystal? Or are you too dumb I need to repeat myself?”

“Umm, yes Captain…I mean…”

Pushing past the spluttering officer and through the front door of the centre. The stairs and escalators were full of rampaging customers, so they took the elevator to the top floor, gun’s ready.

“So, what species are they then?” Ianto asked.

“We call them Blowfish. Bipedal with the head of a fish – hence the name.” Jack described. “They behave like adrenaline junkies – guns, drugs, money, joyriding. You name it. They’re crafty so keep your eyes peeled.”

The shouts and panic from customers lead them in the right direction as the elevator doors reopened, pushing through the crowd of shoppers escaping.

He instantly knew what Jack had been referring to as he spotted a tall red skinned figure with fish-like features rummaging through the shelves of a Pharmacy. Jack had warned him to be careful with reading other species, but lowering his shields only fractionally, all he could read was the bustling rush of excitement from the alien, but it was drowned out by the panic of shoppers.

Catching a glimpse of another in an opposite store, they split for the second time that evening, Jack whispering some final instructions.

“Try secure with your stun gun first, but keep your main weapon poised. They’re crafty.”

Ianto nodded, heading for the one currently attempts to beat a child lock on a bottle of medicine. He took advantage of the distraction, stepping up quietly behind and pressed his taser to the back of its neck and firing. It dropped instantly. Securing it’s arms, he turned to look across the lobby. Jack had his blowfish in a similar position on the ground.

Ianto opened his mouth to inform Jack it was clear when a third appeared unexpectedly from behind the cashier desk at Jack’s rear, armed with a weapon. Ianto abandoned his secured catch at the sight, rushing across to the shop as he automatically raising his own gun. “Jack! Behind you!”

The older man glanced up from handcuffing first sedated Blowfish at Ianto’s shout but had no time to react before a hand snatched the collar of his coat pulling him up against him. The blowfish’s thick scaly arm wrapped tightly around Jack’s throat, restricting his airways while the other held a gun against his forehead.

“Jack!” Ianto shouted in fear as said man struggled in an attempt to escape the strong grip of the alien, but without being able to take a deep enough breath, Jack’s strength was weakening. Ianto levelled his gun at the Blowfish “Let him go. Now or I’ll shoot.”

“But can you? Can you really? What if you miss? Hit your master? What if I shoot first”?

Jack’s strained and choked voice barely interrupted. “Ianto. Ignore him. He’s trying to distract you. Don’t worry about me, just shoot him! You can do it! Shoo-”

Jack hid his wince as the Blowfish tightened the grip round his neck, cutting him off. Ianto could clearly feel the other’s pain and frustration, but what surprised him was the lack of fear from his Captain.

“Trust. So much trust he has. Is he right to? Your hands are trembling like a leaf – you couldn’t shoot straight if life depended on it. Oh right, it does!”

The Blowfish continued his taunting, Ianto trying not to let the words affect him, but his aim wavered. He’d never shot fatally before but the only target was the Blowfish’s head. In his hesitation, all he could do was stare as the blowfish swung his weapon round, firing without warning. Ianto ducked instinctively, but the bullet hadn’t been aiming at him. A low moan of pain was heard from behind him and following Jack’s shocked gaze he turned to see a young man collapse to their side from hiding behind a stall, blood covering his pale t-shirt just below his shoulder. The man looked no older than him, clearly having been one of the unlucky customers that couldn’t escape with the others.

Angry, his resolved returned along with his aim towards the Blowfish’s head. It didn’t seem at all affected by what he’d just down and its gun was once again pressed against Jack’s head, only this time a finger curled ominously around the trigger.

“Oops. Anyway, shall the Captain be next?”

“’anto. Sho-ot ‘im!”

Reacting to Jack’s pain-filled wheeze, Ianto closed his eyes as he squeezed the trigger.

He heard the shot but nothing else, and his breath caught in his throat as he reopened his eyes. Panic threatened to overthrow him as he saw both figures motionless on the ground, fearing he’d been too late, but worry for Jack pushed him forward.

He knew he had to secure the weapon that hung limply in the blowfish’s hand, but he ignored it, instead instinctively reached for his powers to sweep the gun out of range with a gust of wind. A single bullet wound adorned the red scaled head, but he didn’t allow himself to breathe again until a heard a faint cough.

“Jack?”

“I’m good.” Jack pushed himself up, massaging his throat. “Man, they’ve got a good grip. Must have blacked out for a moment.”

Ianto guided Jack to his feet but he soon pushed off Ianto’s help, rushing forward. He fell to his knees besides the young man who was shot, pulling off his shirt from under his coat and pressing hard to stanch the blood flow.

Ianto stares. Somewhere in his brain it registered that if Jack was trying to help him, then the young man was still alive and only unconscious, but the rest of it had him frozen on the spot.

“Ianto!” He barely heard Jack’s voice, but it shook him back to reality. He refocused on Jack who was still pushing firmly against the man’s shoulder. “Hey, you can breakdown all you want when we get back to the Hub, but for now I need you to focus. He needs to get to the paramedics outside, but we can’t bring them in here. Help me with him.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack signalled for Ianto to enter his office as he placed the phone down with a sigh. The other had been hovering awkwardly under the pretence of tidying outside the door for the past 15 minutes, but only now could Jack acknowledge him. He waited for Ianto to sit, before beginning his report.

“Death toll’s luckily at zero, but reports say there were ten injuries, mainly from the panicking, but they’re all stable and should pull through. Good work today. It could have been a lot worse.”

“Jack…”

Jack ignored him; he knew what Ianto was going to say. Ianto had been rightfully shook after shooting the Blowfish and while he might have snapped harsher than usual at the mall, he’d been focused on saving the young lad and hadn’t noticed his tone till after. He hoped this wasn’t the event that would cause Ianto to regret joining Torchwood Three.

“We still need a cover up story and wipe the CCTV. We’ll try without retcon but there’ll a lot of people to convince.”

“Jack stop...”

Jack continued as if he hadn’t heard. “If I start on the CCTV, maybe you could get started on the story. I feel like I’ve run out of plausible stories….”

“Jack! I could have killed you.”

That finally made him pause, he hadn’t been expecting that. “Hey. I’m okay. You did good.”

“I’d never aimed a headshot before. One inch off and I could have shot you.”

“Ianto, you’ve been on that firing range almost everyday perfecting that aim of yours. It doesn’t matter where you’re shooting. I trust you.”

“How? I waited too long! I got that man shot!”

“ _That_ wasn’t your fault.” Jack returned calmly to oppose Ianto’s increasingly agitated state. “I screwed up too you know. I didn’t see the third one right by me until it was too late, but we were outnumbered. We did the best that we could.”

“We wouldn’t be OUTNUMBERED IF WE HAD ANOTHER TEAMMATE!”

It was the first time Ianto had ever raised his voice, and Jack was stunned into silence. A few moments of stillness passed before Ianto visibly withdrew. “Sorry sir. I’d better go.” He turned towards the door and Jack almost couldn’t recover in time to stop the other from leaving.

“Wait!” Jack rushed after the other catching up by the cog door. “Don’t leave, we need to talk about this.”

“Sorry Jack, I can’t think right now. I need some time. I’ll be back on Monday, I promise.”

10 _ th _ _ September 2000 _

Ianto moped around his flat, his mind numb from overthinking the events of the other day. He’d already reorganised his flat from top to bottom, even alphabetising his shelves, anything to distract himself from walking out on Jack. He hadn’t meant to shout and was sure Jack was angry with him _._

He’d turned his mobile off the other night, after Jack had rung five times in a row but he was sitting on the sofa watching the mindless dribble of evening TV, when the dull noise of his landline broke though the room.

He answered in hope it wasn’t Jack, but it looked as if luck wasn’t with him when the Captain’s tentative voice came over the line. Ianto could barely hear him, the voice muted out by the loud thundering of rain and high winds. It had been storming hard all day.

“I know you wanted some time but please don’t hang up.” Jack paused as if waiting to hear the dial tone signalling Ianto had hung up, but when he didn’t the other continued. “You said you need to help – here’s your chance.”

“What do you need?” Ianto asked slowly after a second.

“How’s your rains power coming on?” Unsurprisingly, Jack’s vague answer only gave him more questions.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack swung by his flat to pick him up half an hour later, Ianto racing to enter the passenger side to get out the heavy downpour. The loud clattering on the roof halted any attempt on conversation, as Jack broke every speed limit on the way to who knows where.

Eventually the SUV stopped beside the edge of shallow ravine, almost flooded from the rain. In the dim light from the headlights, Ianto could just make out slight movement in the distance, which Jack confirmed a moment later.

“There’s a woman stuck on that rock. I can’t reach her safely in this weather, but we can’t wait for the rain to stop. _She_ can’t wait.”

“How did you know she was here?”

“Rift spike.” Jack informed “I have a suspicion, but I’ll have to talk to her to be sure so I’ll explain when I can.”

Ianto nodded. “Is she human?”

“As far as I believe.” Jack returned. “Can you slow the rain?”

Considering what Jack was asking, Ianto glanced up at the sky. He’d never done it before but knew in theory it wouldn’t be too different to some of his training. He’d mostly been practising his wind and fire powers but had experimented with other weather as well.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the power inside him that he was familiar with but instead of sparking a flame or conjuring a breeze, he imagined the rain coming to a stop. To his surprised, the rain responded first time and slowed to a fine drizzle.

“Have I ever told you you’re amazing.” Jack grinned but vanished into the distance before Ianto could answer. Now it was no longer raining, he could see slightly more clearly, but it was still hard to pick out the figures.

Eventually Jack returned, supporting a severely traumatised and frail woman towards the SUV. She was dressed in only thin and ruined clothing and her face was focused intently on the ground.

“What happened to her?” Ianto asked after Jack had closed the SUV door.

“How are your shields?” Jack returned, seemingly ignoring the question.

“Don’t change the subject”

“I’m not, I don’t want to keep this a secret any longer, but I’m also not about to put you at risk. So, I ask again, how are your shields?”

Jack tone relayed how serious he was as Ianto stammered an answer. “They’re stable. Getting stronger.”

“Good to hear. Unfortunately, I was right, but this is something I have to show you for you to fully understand. I’ll save the explanations until we’re nearly there, deal.”

Once inside, Jack gunned the car towards the coast, the SUV pulling up aside a moored jetty 20 minutes later. The two quickly led the shaken woman from the car onto the deck and down into the cabin, Jack wrapping his greatcoat around her shoulders to protect from the cold air as Ianto pulled his own collar up round his neck in return. Jack headed out for a couple seconds to the release the rope then started the engine.

As the boat glided out of the harbour, Jack checked on the woman before taking Ianto out of earshot.

“It will take half an hour to get there in these winds.” He explained. “You ready?”

“For what? You haven’t even said where we’re going.”

Jack sighed, slumping down to sit on one of the wooden benches in the cabin. Ianto joined him as Jack took a deep breath before starting.

“I learnt about this at the start of the year. I’d just kicked out the Torchwood One personal was checking on everything when I stumbled on two like her hidden the lower vaults, terrified and neglected. I never knew they were there.”

“What’s happened to them? Were they being experimented on like...”?

“No nothing like what you went through. I found the files after.” Jack paused. “It’s the rift. “It doesn’t just dump things here from other times and places. It takes thing too, and unfortunately sometimes people.”

“And that’s what happened to her?” Ianto asked, horrified as he gestured to the woman who was still trembling slightly.

“Afraid so.” Jack nodded. “Men, woman, children. They’re taken with no warning and thrown into whatever horrors are awaiting them but sometimes, just sometimes, the rift returns them. They’re scarred and not just physically. They’re terrified and broken. So, I set up a facility on the Flat Holm Island, funded completely separately from Torchwood, where they can be cared for and protected. And because of what they’ve seen – no one can know.”

“How many have you found?”

“Four currently, there’s been two others since the start of the year. I expect that will go up inevitably. It’s not something we can solve, something we can stop, we just have to deal with the outcomes. Help them as much as possible.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack had fallen silent for the rest of the trip and Ianto was glad to get off the boat, it had only been the first time, but it definitely wasn’t up there with his favourite mode of transport. He hoped the journey back would be better, but it wasn’t important at the moment. There were other things to focus on. Jack lifted the woman gently over his shoulder. She’d fallen into a restless sleep during the trip, and they couldn’t make themselves wake her as Ianto secured the boat and they made their way up to the top of the cliff.

A white lighthouse house stood to the left, but Jack led them carefully in the opposite direction stopping only to awkwardly swipe his access card at the entrance of a tall, barb wired fence. In the dark, all Ianto could see was a collection of worn underground bunkers in the distance, that looked as if they’d been neglected since the war, Jack carefully taking the steps down to the first door.

The emotions screaming in Ianto’s head were drowned out by the cries of another, as he crossed the threshold. Seeing Ianto tense, Jack strengthened his own mental shields and let them wrap around Ianto’s. The brief but overwhelming echoes of what Ianto felt staggered Jack’s senses.

After passing through a few other doorways, a couple nurses took the woman from Jack’s arms, taking her through to a nearby room. As the Captain followed explaining where they’d found her, Ianto stayed taking in the long corridors with its green chipped paint.

“Ianto my boy. How are you?”

Ianto turned at the sound of his name, instantly recognising who the voice had come from. “Helen?” He exclaimed, surprised.

“It’s great to see you looking well. The Captain said you were working with him now.”

“Thank you, yeah I’ve been getting there. What are you doing here?”

The answer surprisingly came from Jack who quietly returned. “When you were recovering, I’d called by the hotel to collect our things and let Helen know you were safe, but I found she’d been fired for missing most of her shift…”

“Oh sorry….” Ianto interrupted.

“Let’s not start that my dear. Nothing to do with you. It was my choice, and my boss was a racist bastard. He’d been looking for an excuse for months.” Helen assured. “If it wasn’t for that I needed the money I would have quit ages ago. For a posh hotel, the work was crap.”

Jack nodded. “Still, I wanted to show my appreciation, for doing such a great job with helping you the times I was out. So, the first thing I did when I set this place up was offer her a job.”

“And I’ll forever be grateful.” Helen alleged before excusing herself. “Well, I need to go see how the new poor soul is settling in. Why don’t you show Ianto to our other guests? It’s late but Charlie’s awake of course. I’ll catch you in a little while.”

Jack led Ianto into a large room that appeared to be set up as a recreation room. A young boy around the age of 11 was perched in an armchair, reading a book. He looked up at the sound of them approaching. One side of his face considerably scarred, but a smile adorned his face when he recognised Jack.

“Aye aye Captain. What a young lad like you doing here today?”

Ianto was shocked at the tone coming from the boy, but Jack took it in his stride. “Wouldn’t you like to know yeh, Charlie.” He answered with a wink.

“Aye, I’ll take that back. No details if you please Captain.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying.” Jack returned cheekily, before changing his tone. “It’s late. You having trouble sleeping again?”

“Aye, but there’s nothing to be done about that yeh.” Charlie glanced up again, suddenly noticing Ianto who’d been staying back. “Who’s this then?” He asked, holding his small hand out.

Jack beckoned Ianto over and he hesitantly took the others hand. “I’m Ianto, it’s nice to meet you sir.”

“Ah a polite young man, never lose that yeh.”

“I won’t sir. Thank you.”

A nurse entered the room with a wheelchair, clearly intending to take Charlie back to his room and Jack straightened up. “Okay then Charlie, we’ll leave you to try get some rest. I’ll visit soon.”

Once Charlie had left, Jack turned to Ianto clearly knowing what he what he wanted to ask. “You can ask you know. Charlie’s 70 in mind, but he’s spent most his life in a place that’s stunted his physical growth. He fell back through the rift in May. I didn’t recognise it at first, but the more time I spent with him I more I felt he needed to be here where we can support him. He has some trouble sleeping as you can see.”

Jack fell silent again for a few minutes, but Ianto saw a mask quickly covered his face again as the Captain smiled. “Come on, let’s see if we can find Helen again.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

After coffee and a quick catch up with Helen, the pair left the underground cabin and began to walk the perimeter of the barbed fence. The lights from the facility were now lighting their pain and rain had stopped, but the air was still damp and cold.

“How you holding up?” Jack asked after a few minutes.

“It’s better now. I felt what you did – with supporting my shields. Thank you.”

“No need. I just heard an echo of what you did, and I hated it. Sorry you had to deal with that.”

“It’s okay Jack. It’s not your fault, and you’re doing your best here. I can see that.”

“Ianto…?” Jack seemed to hesitate before continuing. “It’s been months. Are you still happy here? With Torchwood I mean. I don’t want you to stay if you think it’s an obligation or something…”

“Jack. I couldn’t be happier. I’m sorry about the other day. I was just angry – that man, he nearly died, and I couldn’t stop it…”

“We couldn’t stop it. It’s on me as well. And I’m sorry if I snapped the other day.”

“No worries I didn’t even notice.” Ianto reassured. “I just want to help more, but I’m dead on my feet. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Years of practices and not needing much sleep but you were right. We do need another member. I’ve had ulterior motives for not hiring but safety needs to come out on top. Since you left the other day, I’ve been looking for another person. I think I might have a candidate.”

“Really, who?” Ianto asked with a mix of curiosity and surprise.

“A Miss Suzie Costello. She’s been on Torchwood’s watch list for years for scavenging alien tech. Not that she knows its alien and so we’ve never initiated contact, but she seems intelligent.”

“Have you seen her yet?”

“No, I was waiting to see if you agreed. I’ll show you her file when we get back, then if you – and she – agrees, then she can start next month.”

**Notes: Oh no still no immortality secrets spilled…a wonder when? Hope you enjoyed this chapter. One more tomorrow before the break as promised.**

**Please Review.**


	9. Chapter 8: Suzie Begins

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Notes** : Here you go. Last chapter of this half. Winter break some would say. Enjoy

* * *

**Chapter 8: Suzie Begins**

_ 2nd October 2000  _

Jack was true to his word, and nearly a month later Ianto was sorting the Hub in expectation of Suzie’s arrival. With another member working here regularly they’d would have to settle into more a routine with coffee at regular hours, a set lunchtime, and even dinner for days they worked late.

Dismantling the coffee machine, he scrubbed and reassembled it before filtering through a new batch to bring to Jack. It was past noon already, yet Suzie hadn’t arrived. Entering the office up the back steps to Jack’s office, he placed the full mug down on the desk. The Captain barely reacted, not looking in his direction. He was slouched in his chair staring intently at the CCTV, his feet on his

“Jack?” When there was no response, he tried again. “Jack? You watching for Suzie?”

Ianto perched on the corner of the desk, causing Jack to tear his eyes from the screens. “Oh. Sorry Ianto, thanks.” He grabbed his coffee taking a big gulp. “Yeah. She’s late. I told her to be outside the tourist office by noon.”

“How much have you told her?”

“The truth mostly – about aliens and the rift. She had her suspicions from her collection but was intrigued to know the truth. Our agreement was she gets to work with Torchwood only if she brings all the alien tech she’s scavenged.”

“What about…?” Ianto trailed off his question, suddenly losing his confidence. “No never mind.”

Jack swung his feet on the desk, looking worried. “Ianto?”

“Have you told her about...you know…” People knowing about his past or specifically his _abilities_ always made him nervous.

Realisation dawned on Jack as he rapidly shook his head. “No. If you ever want to tell her, then fine but she’ll be hearing nothing from me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s none of her business.” He paused to emphasise his point. “And that goes for anyone I speak to.”

Catching movement on the monitor, they turned to spot Suzie entering the Tourist Office. “Finally!” Jack jumped up, but before he left, he turned back around. “Also, not that it would surprise you, I haven’t told her anything about Flat Holm. The fewer people who know about it, the better.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack took the stairs up to the Tourist office so he could stun Suzie from appearing from behind the beaded curtain, rather than through the secret door.

It was clear why she was late instantly from the many boxes of tech she carried in from her car. Leaving them in the office for now, Jack led her down the lift and through the cog door. Suzie took the Hub and rift manipulator in her stride from first sight, glancing around with intrigue, soaking in everything before her eyes finally rested on Ianto. The man was standing just outside the doorway of his office, watching the newcomer awkwardly and Jack nodded at the other as he introduced him.

“And this is marvellous Ianto Jones. Ianto here is in the process of learning everything about this place, so anything you need to know, Ianto’s the man to ask.”

“I appreciate the confidence, sir.”

Shocked and confused at the formality from the other, Jack flashed a concerned glance in his direction but quickly covered it up in Suzie’s presence. He’d ask privately later.

After a brief introduction to Myfanwy featuring a sticky mess of half melted chocolate, Jack offered a tour of the rest of the Hub. The Armoury was clearly the most appealing to her, her expression almost that of a child in a sweet shop. Jack understood some restraint would need to be addressed when she started training next week on when lethal weapons were required, but he knew it wasn’t surprising.

He’d seen many new recruits over the last century who saw all aliens as a threat at first. Frankly, if he was honest most hadn’t changed their views, but that was before he’s taken over. As long as he continued to emphasise the wonders of the job, he could show Suzie it wasn’t all bad out there.

An alarm interrupted them on the way back up from visiting the Weevils in the holding cells. Jack headed straight to the computer monitors, seeing Ianto collecting his greatcoat from his office out the corner of his eye.

“Weevil Alert in Roath. I’ll check it out.” He announced, smiling his thanks as he took the coat from Ianto. “I won’t be long. I promise.” He whispered to Ianto, before speaking louder. “Ianto will show you anything I’ve missed and give you your paperwork to make a start on.”

Jack sped out the hub, leaving the pair alone with the only noise the faint trickle coming from the Water Tower. After a prolonged moment of ‘silence’, Suzie turned to Ianto, emotions curious.

“So how did a young man like you end up wearing suits and working in a place like this then?”

Ianto paused. He knew Jack hadn’t told her anything about himself, but they hadn’t had the time to think of a different story.

“Err… well I met Captain Harkness at the start of the year, the last team had just been killed and he needed help with the rift, so I offered.” Ianto kept the story as close to the truth as possible but kept himself deliberately vague and only hoped Suzie wouldn’t press any further. Thankfully, she didn’t.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto sorted slowly through the boxes of alien tech he’d collected from the Tourist Office. When Jack had returned from his hunt, he’d escaped down to the archives for some quiet and to get started on the huge job Suzie had brought. Some were non alien and had just been misidentified, but the rest had to be labelled, documented, and set aside for storage once he’d finished organising the archiving system.

“Ianto?” Jack’s voice called from a distance, clearly searching the endless rooms for him.

“Room E!” He didn’t stop his work as he heard Jack’s footstep come closer, until his voice finally announced his presence in the room.

“Hey, I wondered where you’d vanished to. You okay?”

“Yeah. Where’s Suzie?”

“She’s familiarizing herself with the computer system. I err… I wanted to speak to you.”

“Oh?”

“Earlier, when I introduced Suzie… you seemed tense…were calling me sir again. Is everything okay? Is it Suzie?

“Jack I’m fine.” While it was true it had been awkward alone with Suzie, it wasn’t anything drastic and as for calling Jack ‘sir’ he’d merely wanted to keep professional in front of Suzie. “All employees call their Boss’ sir around other employees, don’t they? I’m not slipping. I promise.”

Jack stared intently at his face, trying to read him but sighed. “I’m not happy but I’ll agree when we’re at work. My name is Jack any other time – okay?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Ianto deadpanned as he reached inside one of the boxes for the next item to documents.

“Oh, I know what that is!” Jack exclaimed suddenly before Ianto even had a chance to put it down on his workspace. “Looks like a futuristic integration device, delves deep into your brain to uncover the truth, even if you don’t know it yourself.. Can be dangerous and painful when used on a different species than intended. Mind probes we called ‘em.”

“I’ll make a note of it.” Ianto returned, starting on the paperwork. Jack took the hint to leave, to wanting to disturb the other longer than he had.

Finishing with the supposed ‘Mind Probe’, Ianto stood with the item ready to store it when he paused. He rotated the object carefully around in his hand suddenly thoughtful. Jack had said it uncovered hidden truths, but if that was true, couldn’t it help him remember all he’d forgotten?

With a sigh, he slid the item onto the next available shelf behind him, and moved methodically onto the next, purposely forcing the object to slip from his mind. He’d made a promise and he intended to keep it.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

_ 3rd October 2000  _

“You free?” Jack asked, coming up behind Ianto. Suzie was packing her things by the workstation she’d set overtaken in the far corner, readying to leave for the night.

It’d been a busy and weary day having been winged by a Hoix when hunting earlier, and while it hadn’t killed him, he’d been lying in pain in the alley for over 20 minutes while he waited to heal. He wasn’t looking forward to being in the Hub alone that night and was stretching for any excuse to delay Ianto from leaving. “We haven’t trained together for a while. I’ve missed it.”

Ianto glanced up at his arrival. “Nearly. Just finishing filling in the death certificate of our latest alien accomplice we stopped from overtaking Cardiff sir”

“Oh, that’s easy. He died of natural causes.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “You pushed him out the window, sir”

“Gravity _is_ natural.”

“You know what I mean Jack.”

Laughing as Ianto rolled his eyes, Jack agreed. “Yeah, I know. So… about that training?”

“Okay, Okay.” Ianto returned with a sarcastic huff as he signed off the paper. “I’m coming.”

**Notes: Thanks for get this far. Hopefully see you near the end of January, with a time jump of three years.**

**Please Review with any suggestions for the next half.** **😊**

**With that I wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS (even if it’s different) and BEST WISHES for 2021**


	10. Chapter 9: Unknown Hazards of the Job (2003)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2000

**Note: As promised the second half of Part 2. There will be 20 chapters in total and I will aim to post every 2-3 days. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Unknown Hazards of the Job (2003)**

_ 31 months later: 3rd May 2003 _

Ianto was already waiting him as usual when Jack pulled the SUV into the underground garage. The three of them on the Torchwood Team had settled into the semblance of a routine over the past years.

He’d been chasing an alien all day. It’d constantly been giving them the slip for the past few days but at last he’d cornered it, yet his attempts to sedate it had only awarded him a deep scratch on his left arm and he’d resigned to shooting it. It was always a last resort, but some species were resistant to the sedation they used.

“Is that blood?”

Jack let out a silent laugh. He could have guessed that would be the first question Ianto asked as he climbed out of the car. The younger man’s eyes missed nothing.

“It’s only a scrape, coat took the worst of it as always.” Jack sighed, gently pushing off Ianto’s attempts to check. “Sorry. It seems like you’ve only just mended it.”

“It’s actually lasted nearly a month this time.” Ianto joked, heading to open the boot. “It might be a new record.”

“In that case I’ll take it back.” Jack countered, before looking around the garage. It wasn’t like Suzie to miss out on viewing a new alien, but then again, it was late. “Where’s Suzie?”

“At last knowledge she was experimenting with her new construction on the firing range.” Ianto explained. “But in hindsight that was some hours ago. I presume she’s headed home.”

Ianto helped Jack with the alien with lifting the creature from the boot and onto a trolley. Its surface was silver-grey and rippled similar to liquid, but there was no doubt the form was solid with sharp claws.

“…Jack?”

Jack blinked back into awareness at the call of his name. He hadn’t noticed his concentration had drifted; he was really starting to feel beat. “Sorry, long day. What was that?”

“I said I’ll get it down to the morgue. Any idea what species it is?”

“No, it seems familiar, but I can’t remember...”

“I’ll check the archives then sir.”

“Thanks, Ianto. I’ll be in the shower; I probably smell of gunk.”

Jack stumbled into the Hub, and down into his bunker. He wasn’t sure when it’d started but room was spinning around him. He blindly started the shower but he’d barely finishing undressing before he was hit with a sudden wave of nausea. He couldn’t reach the toilet opposite in time before his stomach rebelled, expelling the remains of his earlier lunch.

He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been sick and was briefly grateful for that as this throat burned. His vision blurred as he collapsed weakly to the floor.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto pushed the metal door closed on the morgue drawer. He still had the paperwork to complete, and Jack’s clothes to mend but they could both wait for the following morning. He wanted first to scour the archives for more information on their latest rift visitor.

He’d finished the archives a grand total of two years after he’d joined Torchwood Three. It had been a near impossible job and for that reason only he’d all but banned Jack and Suzie from entering with his express permission. However, even organised, the archives filled almost 20 rooms of files and artifacts and finding a specific file, especially without a name, still took a while.

He found it difficult to believe that it had been over 3 years since Jack had rescued him from the clutches of Torchwood One, but he could admit that some days he could find himself forgetting the horrors of his past, newer and more happier memories becoming more prominent.

Searching methodically, Ianto eventually located a file describing an alien with an identical description. Not surprisingly, the file detained very little information apart from one the previous encounter which he quickly skimmed over the file.

The file slid to the floor uncharacteristically, but Ianto took no notice as he raced forward, taking the stairs two at time up to the main Hub and sliding down the ladder to Jack’s bunker. The bed was empty, but he could hear the shower running in the adjoined room, and he knocked loudly hoping the file was wrong.

“Jack?”

There was no answer from the other side of the door. Nervously, he pushed it open slowly to give Jack time to react in the event he’d just hadn’t heard him, but at the sight of Jack collapsed on the floor by the toilet, he shoved it open faster.

Jack was motionless and covered with vomit, but Ianto let the out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding when a faint groan originated from Jack and the Captain’s eyes flickered. Bending down, he hooked his arms round the older man and half dragged, half carried him into the running shower.

The sudden rush of water landing on his face, seemed to rouse Jack from his state of semi consciousness. The latter’s eyes sluggishly opened fully; his gaze landing on Ianto.

“Heeyy…you’re cuteee. Who...? Hic. Who’re you?”

Yeah, never mind. The file was completely accurate.

Jack was drunk.

“Are you the newest victim Matthews has wrangled?” Jack continued. “Oh my, they’re getting younger _and_ more attractive. W-what’s the name, handsome?”

The words were considerably slurred, and if Ianto had thought Jack flirted while sober, this was going to be a fun experience. Especially as Jack seemed unaware of who he was.

“Ianto Jones.” He answered, turning the water off and passing over a towel for Jack to dry himself with.

“Yan-h-toe.” Jack repeated. “B-beautiful. Love the Welsh v-vowels”

Normally Ianto would have commented on the butchered pronunciation of his name, but something else had caught his attention in his previous statement, more accurately ‘who’. He recognised the name ‘Matthews’ from the archives and if his memory was as accurate as it always was the man had been one of the previous leaders of Torchwood Cardiff. “Jack, what year is it?”

“Ha-ha!” Jack of all people _giggled_ as he clicked his fingers. Ianto had the feeling that apart from the inevitable conversation when Jack awoke tomorrow, this was going to be a night never to be spoken of again.

“That’s the most important question in Torchwood in my opinion. You never know! It’s…” Jack paused as thinking. “Wait…what was it again? Oh yeah…1986. Or is it ‘5? No, ‘86, definitely.”

Ianto sighed but didn’t reply. There was nothing to really to say. He crouched behind the other and tucked his arms under the Jack’s to lift him unsteadily to his feet once more. “Come on then. You can’t stay on the shower floor.”

Ianto bore most of Jack’s weight as they staggered from the bathroom and onto Jack’s bunk. Once Jack was half horizontal, he vanished for ten seconds to fill a glass of water. Pressing it firmly into Jack’s hands, supporting the glass as the latter took a large gulp.

“Usually when someone buys me a drink it’s something more than water.”

“Just drink it Jack, and here...” He pulled out the almost ever-present bar of chocolate from his pocket. “It’s Myfanwy’s, but she won’t mind. You need to get your sugar levels up.”

“Myfanwy?” The word could barely be understood from both Jack’s slurring and chocolate filled mouth.

“Er…never mind.” Ianto stood, aiming to return to the bathroom to sort the mess they’d left, but a hand snaked around his, bringing him to a halt. “Don’t leave.” Jack’s tone was the complete opposite from the last 10 minutes.

“I’m not, Jack. I’ll be back in a second. I promise.”

Jack released him, but as he moved away Ianto overheard a faint dull whisper from the other.

“Can’t promise…everyone leaves…sooner or later…everyone leaves.”

The solemn tone was something so unheard of from Jack that he forgot about sorting the bathroom for now. However, when he turned back around he smiled.

Jack had fallen asleep, the glass of water balancing precariously in his lax hand. Intending to keep a watch in case Jack threw up again in his sleep, he rescued the glass before grabbing Jack’s coat and sewing kit. He settled into the newly brought armchair in Jack’s bunker and prepared for a long night.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

_4 th May 2003_

Jack stirred awake early the next morning. He opened his eyes enough to register Ianto hunched in the armchair beside his bunk, but he screwed them shut again when the light seared his brain.

“Sir?” Behind his closed eyes, he heard Ianto lean forward and a hand touched his shoulder. “Jack?”

“He’s not in…” Jack mumbled, burrowing his head deeper into the pillow, studiously ignoring the hand shaking him.

“Hey c’mon. I know you’re awake.”

“Urgh…I feel like I’ve been trampled by horses.” Jack moaned as tried to sit up while clutching his head. “And trust me I know what that feels like.”

“That bad eh?”

Ianto voice was sympathetic yet the sound still stabbed across a skull. “What happened?”

“You don’t remember?”

Jack squinted in concentration, but he couldn’t remember anything past collapsing in his bathroom after returning from his hunt.

He hoped he hadn’t freaked Ianto out by dying and reviving as he really didn’t fancy explaining his supposed immortality at this present time. His head was throbbing. In fact, his whole body was aching. He hadn’t woken up feeling this bad for over a century. Thankfully, Jack couldn’t read any shock or disbelief in Ianto’s expression, making him think it was something else. Either that or Ianto was taking it unusually well.

“I went to wash, but there’s nothing after that. Did I pass out?”

“Eventually. The alien that scratched you, I found the file. They secrete a toxin that nearly 60% alcohol.”

Realisation spread through Jack’s mind. “Oh…”

“Yeah ‘oh’…” Ianto repeated, chuckling. “You were as drunk as a dog.”

Ianto handed him some tablets and a glass water which he swallowed gratefully. He hadn’t gotten drunk in years after it’d got him in a lot of trouble from running his mouth. “I didn’t say anything embarrassing, did I?”

“You were drunk, what do you think?” Ianto laughed, but Jack’s stared at him silently until he sighed. “No, nothing important, don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah. And what do you know about hangovers uh?” His headache was starting to ease, but whether it was the painkillers or his healing abilities he couldn’t be sure.

“That it sucks.” Jack raised his eyebrow at Ianto. He hadn’t expected that. “Oh okay, I might have had one, once or twice.” Ianto conceded. “You should know the first time.”

“You can’t have been drunk. You had only had two drinks!” Jack remembered the time last year where he’d taken Ianto and Suzie to the bar as a celebration.

“The headache said otherwise.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Jack apologised then remembered what Ianto had just said. “Wait? Twice?”

“Um...yeah.” Ianto’s expression came over guilty. “Last Christmas, I went out with Jamie and Bryn.”

Ianto had taken an evening off to meet up his old friends from his past, but Jack had been unaware of what had occurred until now.

“So that’s why you were late the next morning! You said you were busy!”

“I was. Trying not to throw up.”

“Fair enough.” Jack dragged himself up stiffly into a sitting position “What time is it?”

“Half seven, so you’ve still got a while before Suzie arrives, luckily. Coffee?”

“That would be a blessing.” Jack replied before dragging himself to the bathroom.

**Notes: Hope you enjoyed it. Next up we first hear of our wonderful tech genius.**

**All reviews are welcome!** **😊**


	11. Chapter 10: A Technological Genius 1 (2003)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2150

**Notes: This is a first of a two-parter due to its length, no dramatic cliff-hanger however. I thought I’d be nice.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Technological Genius 1 (2003)**

_ 14th July 2003 _

Two months after the incident with the inebriating alien, Jack returned at the Hub after one of his nightly strolls across Cardiff’s many rooftops to find Ianto had already arrived. The latter however seemed to be engrossed in numerous files on his computer and so Jack didn’t disturb him, instead heading straight to his office.

It wasn’t until lunch that there was a loud knock at his door and Ianto entered with a file and a mug of coffee and a pastry.

“Thanks.” Jack said, taking the mug and plate. “You were in early, everything alright?”

“Needed to make a start on the latest reports from UNIT.” Ianto replied. “The two-week review deadline finishes tonight.”

“Ah, the art of inter-agency co-operation where each send a collection of their least interesting reports while hiding the important projects they’re working on.” Jack recited, disinterested but equally guilty.

The reports came each quarter and were pointless and time-wasting without all the details and Jack often put them off so long that the job fell to Ianto.

“Afraid so, yet this time it might have paid off.” Interest peaked; Jack sat up straighter as Ianto continued. “When I reviewed the files for this Quarter, I encountered a slight inaccuracy in their finance reports. I followed the money trail to discover UNIT have been syphoning small amounts of funding to an off-site high security detention centre for alleged terrorists.”

“Somehow, I wager that breadcrumb wasn’t meant to be included.” Jack replied, leaning back in his chair.

“No question about it.” Ianto agreed. “I dug as deeply as I could get without getting caught and I found this.”

Jack flicked open the file Ianto had passed him, revealing a picture of a young Asian woman in her mid-twenties.

“Toshiko Sato.” Ianto began. “Until recently, she worked with Ministry of Defence in their technology department. Reports say she was one of their best. Three months ago, her mother was taken hostage and Toshiko was subsequently blackmailed into stealing official secrets in the form of blueprints for a Sonic Modulator.”

Jack’s head snapped up from reading the file. “That’s some serious futuristic technology.” He explained, surprised. “What were the Ministry of Defence doing with blueprints like that?”

Ianto shrugged. “Not sure. However, she was later arrested by UNIT attempting to trade the constructed device in exchange for her mother.”

“She created the device?” Jack queried, astonished. “That’s impossible!”

“Apparently not.” Ianto deadpanned. “It says she’s a genius.”

“So why is she still incarcerated?” Jack asked, moving on. “She should have been acquitted at trial due to extenuating circumstances. Surely they can’t blame her for trying to protect her mother?”

“Exactly.” Ianto indicated. “She didn’t get a trial. That’s what’s UNIT’s trying to hide.”

Ianto’s phone rang, breaking the grave atmosphere that had fallen. With a nod from him, Ianto answered, shifting into the corner for privacy. Jack didn’t know what was said, but Ianto’s face progressively hardened as he spoke. After a minute he hung up, turning back to Jack.

“That was Johnny, Rhiannon’s collapsed. He’s called an ambulance....”

“Go. Get out of here.” Jack ordered, not letting Ianto finish. “Suzie’s on call if there’s an emergency. Go be with your sister.”

Ianto paused, but Jack reinforced his order with a glare and the latter raced from his office, barely stopping to grab his overcoat.

“Call me!” He yelled to the retreating figure. Ianto nodded quickly over his shoulder before vanishing out the Hub.

After Ianto had left, Jack returned to the file on his desk, captivated by the knowledge that Toshiko Sato had created a Sonic Manipulator. Finishing reading, he headed to the nearest workstation and using a few of his UNIT contacts, he eventually succeeded in gaining access to Toshiko’s full prison files, including the blueprints for the supposed device.

Even being from the 51st Century, Jack hadn’t the greatest understanding of Sonic Technology, despite them having been his weapon of choice in the Time Agency, but even he could spot the inconsistencies in the provided blueprints. The more he read the more convinced he became. Ianto wouldn’t believe this.

Finally, Jack glanced up from the files he’d printed. Eyes strained from the extended use he noted the late time. It was early evening, several hours since Ianto had left but the latter had yet to call.

Ianto’s mobile went straight to voicemail, but on a hunch, Jack tried Ianto’s landline. After nine rings, Jack almost gave upon there being answer when the line clicked over.

“Ianto?”

 _“One-minute Sir…David! Can you stay still for one second, please...”?_ There was a long pause over the line, the rest of speech drowned out with the rustling noises of someone moving around. Eventually, Ianto’s voice returned, slightly breathless. “ _Sorry about that, is everything okay?”_

“It sounds like I should be asking you that. Where are you?”

“Just arrived back home with David. Sorry mobile’s dead.”

“No worries. Rhiannon?”

 _“She’s fine, better than actually. She’s pregnant. 7 weeks.”_ The relief and excitement in Ianto’s voice instantly erased the worry Jack had felt since the other had run out several hours ago.

“That’s fantastic! Congratulations are in order it seems, Uncle!”

 _“Save them for Rhiannon. She’s picking up David tomorrow.”_ Ianto returned. “ _The Doctors are certain she just fainted, but they’re keeping her overnight as precaution and Johnny went with her. In the meantime, it appears I’m stuck with a little rascal who currently thinks I can’t see him hiding behind the door...”_

Laughing silently, Jack listened as Ianto scolded his nephew once again before returning to the conversation a few moments later. _“…and he’s back in bed. What were you calling for again sir?”_

“Oh!” Jack exclaimed; legitimately having forgotten the other reason he’d called for a moment. “I’ve been digging deeper into those files you gave me earlier. I’ve got something you need to see.”

 _“I can’t leave David, but you’re welcome to come over.”_ Ianto replied.

“It can wait for tomorrow. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

 _“I wouldn’t have offered if not. Quietly though. I’ve got my fingers crossed that a certain monkey will be sleeping_.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack used his own spare key to Ianto’s flat, avoiding knocking. Exhausted, Ianto didn’t move from where he’d slouched on his sofa as Jack entered his living room. He’d at long last settled David down for the night only 5 minutes before, having taken two whole books with multiple re-reads for the three-year-old to fall asleep.

“You awake?” He heard Jack asked, and he reluctantly opened his eyes in response.

“More or less.” He replied, standing, and dragging himself over to his kitchen, grateful for his open plan flat. “Coffee?”

“Thanks.”

The hot rush of caffeine did loads with dampening his exhaustion, waking him enough to focus on what Jack had brought.

“So, what’s got you excited?” Ianto asked, removing Jack’s own empty mug to join his own in the sink.

Spreading the documents and blueprints he’d brought over the kitchen table; Jack quickly went over what he’d found. Whilst he didn’t say explicitly, it was clear from his explanation how eager the latter was on Tosh joining the team.

“We definitely need someone with computer skills.” Ianto replied when Jack had finished. “It took all the skills I’ve learnt just to find to little info I did.”

“Of course, but these are not just any computer skills, Ianto. You said it yourself, she’s a genius. With a bit of experience, she’d be able to do anything, alien tech or otherwise.”

“Whatever we do, we have to get her out of that prison.” Ianto stated. “Anyway, it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind about wanting her on the team.”

“We need her.” Jack confirmed. “Plus, I think she’ll need to do something to redeem herself, no matter how much we say she’s forgiven. But the final decision’s up to you.”

“Why me?” Ianto replied. He got Jack asking for his opinion, but he’d never made the final definitive verdict.

“Your catch, your lead.”

Ianto opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again at the loud sound of running footsteps approaching. They both glance towards the doorway as a small blur raced in, hurtling towards Jack.

“Uncle Jack!”

“Hey Monkey!” Jack swept the small boy easily up into his arms, with a smile. “I thought you were asleep, little man.” 

“I ‘eard ‘oices”. I ‘ought it was mama.”

“Mummy’s still not feeling well at the moment Monkey, but you’ll see her tomorrow.” Ianto explained gently. David had seen his mother collapse earlier that day and it wasn’t surprising the youngster was scared.

“Okay” David whispered, visibly upset.

“Now, tell me.” Jack asked, in an attempt to distract David from the sensitive topic. “Have you been keeping an eye on your Uncle Ianto for me?”

The younger boy nodded enthusiastically, his body bouncing so much in Jack’s arms that Ianto was surprised he didn’t fall, but Jack only altered grip in response.

“Uncle Jack?” David asked, after a few seconds of silence. “I wanna stowy.”

“What’s the magic word, David?” Ianto reminded before Jack could respond. The three-year-old spun in Jack’s arms to face him again, looking guilty but eager.

“Pwease Uncle Yanno?”

Jack had only met David a handful of time over the past three years, but it appeared to have been enough time for the youngster to learn of Jack’s knack for storytelling. Ianto shared a glance with Jack, silently informing him that it was his choice as David looked back and forth between the two of them innocently.

Watching, Ianto hid a smile as Jack pretended to seriously consider the question. Despite all outward appearances, Jack was a natural with children. Eventually the Captain gave in with an exaggerated sigh. “Just one then, Monkey. Which one do you want?”

“The big sky balloon!”

Ianto had no idea what it meant, but from Jack’s grin the other clearly didn’t have the same problem. Jack shifted his grip on David to free an arm and carried him towards his bedroom where his nephew was staying.

“You coming?” Jack asked, pausing in the doorway.

“No, you go. If we’re both there he’ll never settle, and I’ve heard enough stories in the past hour to last me a lifetime.” Ianto joked. “I’ll get started getting the numbers for UNIT officials you’ll need. We have a new team member to free.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack watched David sleeping in the large double bed that resided in Ianto’s spare room. The young boy had eventually fallen asleep towards the end of Jack eccentric and exaggerated recollection of his first encounter with the amazing Rose Tyler, saving her from hanging from a large barrage balloon in the night sky.

Reading with David reminded him of the times he’d spent with his own children, specifically his youngest daughter, Melissa. He shared the same elaborate stories, taken her for strolls in the park and even watched her sleep – the memorable times before he’d accidently revived in front of Lucia. The latter had consequently retired from Torchwood, fleeing with his daughter into hiding, shortly before Melissa’s second birthday.

Jack had spent a few years trying to track them down, but after being stonewalled time and again, he’d eventually relented, reluctantly arguing that they were safer without him. He hadn’t been the best person he could at the time, the long wait for the Doctor beginning to wear on him, almost going through the motions as he experienced death after death of those he knew. The birth of his daughter, while unplanned, had been a welcome wake up call, only to lose out again only a couple years later. He remembered when Lucia had told him she was pregnant like it was only yesterday.

Briefly, he wondered whether Lucia was still alive. Melissa would be nearly 30 now, having missed out on nearly a third of her life. Silently, he swore that after Toshiko had improved their systems, he would resume his attempts to try track them down.

Ianto appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, and Jack quietly slid out of the bed, tucking the cover back around David without disturbing him.

“Thanks for that.” Ianto said as they returned back to the other room.

“It’s nothing.” Jack replied honestly. “Where were we?”

“I’ve noted the numbers for tomorrow.” Ianto advised him. “What about the other prisoners?”

“I can’t promise anything.” Jack responded openly. “It will take all my favours to release Toshiko and some of them may be legitimate criminals but the least I can do is try access their files. I might be able to pull some strings to get some of them transferred to another facility.”

**Notes: All reviews are welcome. Next chapter in a couple days.**

**Thank you for getting this far with me. This is looking to be the longest fic I’ve ever written!**


	12. Chapter 11: A Technological Genius 2 (2003)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2140

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Technological Genius 2 (2003)**

_ 15th June 2003 _

With UNIT railroading at every opportunity, it finally took long conversations and convincing with the Queen to gain access to Toshiko and her possessions. 

Their first port of call afterwards had been to visit Ms Sato, Toshiko’s mother, who’s own welfare had been neglected by UNIT in their race to make Toshiko an example and lock her away forever. She’d been distraught over her attack combined with the lack of knowledge as to what had befallen her only daughter who’d risked everything to save her.

By the time they’d been allowed entry to the facility a few days later Jack was having serious second thoughts on why he’d allowed Ianto to come. The place was bleaker than Flat Holm and that was saying something, the place lacking both light and cleanliness.

They were met by a General Brunson at the entrance to the cells, something about the man gave Ianto a disturbing they’d met before, but he couldn’t pinpoint the memory before Jack spoke.

“Ah, just the person we need. I believe you should have the paperwork pre-prepared for Miss Sato’s release.”

“I don’t think so Harkness. That little bitch ain’t going nowhere.”

“Commands are commands, General. We’ve gone way over your head with this.”

“Terrorist’s don’t belong on the streets!”

“She’s not a terrorist!”

At Jack’s flare of anger, Ianto stepped forward to interrupt. “Captain Harkness gave you an order. I suggest you follow it.”

General Brunson’s eyes narrowed as he registered Ianto’s presence, then widened in recognition, a sneer settling on his face.

“Well, I live. Subject One. What makes you think I’ll listen to you any more than your Captain, Freak. What are you going to? Rustle my hair with a breeze?”

Ianto clenched his fists in anger. Jack made to object, but stopped half surprised, half humoured when the latter surged forward, slamming Brunson against the wall. Jack couldn’t hear what was said but the General’s eyes widened before he scuttled away when Ianto let go.

“Impressive.” Jack grinned, but it fell when Ianto didn’t react. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Ianto’s tone was short. “Let’s get this over with and get out this godforsaken place.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Toshiko lay wrapped around herself on the cold hard floor of her tiny cell similarly to how she had every night for the past three months, although sometimes it seemed like an eternity since she’d been incarcerated. She tracked the days only from the rising and setting of the sun through the small barred window. She knew her life as she’d known it was over yet all she could think about was her mother and her safety, but no-one would tell her anything.

_“Prisoner Sato. Inspection. Prepare for inspection.”_

The automated and computerised voice broke through her thoughts and wearily she complied with the order, too drained to protest. As she leant against the back wall of her empty concrete cell, the door clunked and swung inwards revealing two tall men standing in the entrance. The first man, dressed in a blue-grey, old-fashioned RAF greatcoat, took two steps forward, offering his hand slowly for her to take.

“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” She asked anxiously. She took the proffered arm, continuing to glance uncertainly between the two strangers.

They didn’t respond, but the second man smiled encouragingly at her as she followed them out her cell and down the corridors. He seemed out of place in the dingy atmosphere of the prison, dressed smartly in a three-piece suit and black overcoat, adding to her confusion.

The corridor opened out into a vast chamber. A small metal table had been positioned in the centre of the room and the first man directed her to the solitary seat.

The smartly dressed man procured a mug from nowhere, placing it on the table in front of her while speaking for the first time. “Sorry for the quality, but even a thermos can only keep my coffee warm for a certain amount of time. Catering’s even more lousy than they said.”

It might have been tepid, but tasted better than anything she’d had since being arrested. Nervously, she watched the two strangers converse out of earshot for a second before re-joining her. There were many questions she wanted to ask but only one was forefront.

“Where’s my mother?”

“She’s safe” The one in the suit assured, but the blue coated man continued.

“She won’t remember being kidnapped. We wiped it from her memory. We hope you don’t mind.”

“You did what?”

“Really, just a little pill. She'll be happier never knowing.”

Mixed emotions spun round her head. She was thankful her Mother was safe and couldn’t remember the horrors she’d experienced when abducted but it was also clear that the two men in front of her had a lot of control and influence if they could wipe another’s memory with only a pill. “Who are you?”

“Nobody. Technically I don’t exist. And for a man of my charisma, that’s quite an achievement.”

The second man sighed. “Jack. Focus?”

“Right, sorry. Ianto?” The man now introduced as Jack almost looked chastised from the other’s words. The one called Ianto made to take over from Jack, but sudden wishful thinking caused her to interrupt.

“Are you lawyers?”

“Does he look like a lawyer?” Ianto joked, gesturing at Jack. Her hope fell and despite trying to hide it, it must have shown on face or something as the man looked chagrined. “Sorry, no, we’re not lawyers. UNIT hope to make an example of you for stealing official secrets. Keep you here without charge, forever.”

“They can't do that!”

“No, legally they can’t but vile as it is, things can be overlooked if presented the right way and believe me they have their ways. Sorry.”

Ianto smiled apologetically at her. for some reason she thought she could read anger in his expression but before she could wonder why, Jack took over from his companion. He perched on the table in front of her, pulling the sonic modulator she’d created from inside his coat.

“You made this, right?”

“I just followed the plans.” Tosh replied, confused. She’d already been interrogated on the device multiple times, but no-one had ever explained why they were so interested. Perhaps she could finally get answers.

“Yeah, kind of. But first you had to grasp the concept of what a sonic modulator does. Most people would struggle with that. And another thing. The plans don't work.”

“What?” Of all the scenarios she’d imagined over her months in prison, that hadn’t been one.

“The technical plans you followed; they were wrong.” Ianto supplied as explanation. “They had mistakes in them, it’s why they were shelved.”

“But you, Toshiko Sato, you automatically fixed things as you went along. What Ianto was trying to say is, oh baby, you're good. I mean, you're good now, imagine what you'd be like with a little training. Oh. Shame you're gonna be locked up for so long.”

Tosh caught Ianto flash a stern glare towards Jack, but the other either missed it or ignored the look. However, it gave her the feeling something else was going on here, combined with a sudden spurt of confidence. “You've got to get me out of here.”

“If you…” Jack started, pointing to gesticulate his case. “…come work for me.”

The words were so unexpected and to the point that Tosh almost jerked back, stunned. “Really?”

“Give me five years, I'll get them to wipe your record clean. They owe me a few favours.”

“What do you do?” Tosh asked, intrigued.

“Protect people.” Ianto revealed. “Least, that's what we aim for.”

“What about my mother?”

“Limited contact only. You can send her postcards.” At the response, Ianto snapped another glare towards Jack that this time the latter couldn’t have missed, but again he didn’t comment. “So, what do you say?”

“Why would you trust me?”

“Instinct.” Jack replied. “It's going to be dangerous. Think you could bear a little danger?”

“Anything’s better than this place though, am I right?” Ianto asked with a sincere smile. “What do you say?”

Tosh considered the offer for only a second but if she was honest there wasn’t much to think about. She would do anything to see the daylight again, and if the two men were true to their words, they were offering a chance to redeem herself in the process. “What do I need to do?”

“Welcome to Torchwood, Toshiko Sato.” Jack’s expression transformed into a wide grin. “Now, I agree with Ianto. Let’s get out of this hellhole.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

“I’m afraid we don’t have anywhere for you to stay at the moment. Places are full - it’s Tourist season.” Ianto explained sitting in the back seat of the SUV aside Toshiko. “I’ve a spare room made up for you to use though – until you find a place of your own.”

“Thank you. I don’t have any money or clothes, though. UNIT took everything.”

“All your possessions have been reclaimed and are waiting for you at the Hub.” Jack piped up from the driver’s seat. “Some items were damaged when stored and one of your accounts had already been drained but your others should have enough to tide you over until your first paycheck. If not, just ask. Money’s not an issue.”

Tosh looked ready to argue but Ianto stopped her. “Jack’s right, Toshiko, and my spare room won’t cost you a penny.”

“Thank you, for everything.” Tosh repeated. “And call me Tosh.”

Ianto nodded in response. “Of course.”

Unspectacularly, Jack took Tosh into the Hub from the underground car-park, rather than through the Cog door, but still the initial splendour of the Hub astonished her. As they began a quick tour of the upper levels, Ianto could see Tosh eyeing the various technology dotted around the Hub.

"Your connections with the MOD and UNIT mean you know about aliens.” Jack started after letting her get her bearings. “Torchwood Three was built on a rift in space and time, stuff slips through and it our job to monitor it.”

After finishing describing the rôles of the rift and the procedures surrounding it, Jack finally showed her the computer mainframe.

“First thing is to get our security systems upgraded before starting to record and analyse the data on the rift, see if we can uncover a pattern of sorts in the activity levels.”

“I’ll get started right away.” Tosh answered with determination and Ianto suddenly understood what Jack had meant about Toshiko needing to prove herself.

“There’s no rush, Tosh.” Ianto said. “Give yourself time to settle in.”

“It’s...”

“Ianto’s right, Toshiko.” Jack interrupted. “You’ve had a rough few month. You don’t need to start for a least a week or two. You’ve got nothing to prove.”

“Okay.” Tosh spoke softly, looking at the floor insecurely. “Would I be able to send a postcard to my mother tomorrow please?”

Ianto glared at Jack but the other returned an unapologetic look. “I had to agree to some guidelines.” Jack reasoned in explanation. “They were listening in, I could tell.”

“We’ve haven’t the right to stop you from contact with your mother.” Ianto explained, turning back to Tosh who’d been listening uncertainly. “Especially after all you’ve gone through to save her.”

“We just had to keep up pretences in front of UNIT.” Jack added, holding out his mobile for her to take. “The numbers already programmed. Call her.”

Leaving Tosh to speak on the phone, Ianto ventured down to the storage room to make a start transferring Tosh’s personal possessions into his car. After a few minutes, he realised the white spark in his mind that represented Jack’s presence had grown brighter.

“Jack.” He didn’t turn around as he spoke, controlling a smirk as he heard Jack jolt in surprise outside the door. “Stop hiding, I know you’re there.”

“Damn, can I ever win?” Jack complained, now entering the room.

“You do remember I can sense your presence, right?” Ianto reminded. “It gets stronger they closer you are. Where’s Tosh?”

“Showering. I thought it’d help her settle if she was clean and out that awful jumpsuit.”

“Hopefully talking to her Mother would have helped as well.” Ianto added, nodding. “She’s knows she can trust us.”

“It took you a while.” Jack returned softly. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, unsure whether to bring up the subject.

“Understatement much?” Ianto countered. He picked up a box that he’d stacked near the door. “I’ll take these clothes of hers up to the communal showers for when she’s finished.”

“Thanks, Ianto.” Jack replied, picking up his own book from the floor. “I’ll take the rest to your car.”

**Notes: Tosh is finally here!**

**Next Up - A year later, a regular rift alert puts Ianto’s life in unexpected danger.**

**All reviews are welcome. Hope I’m getting my tone of writing okay, as well as all the characterizations. Especially with all the time jumps.**


	13. Chapter 12: The Darker Side of Empathy (2004)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2270

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Darker Side of Empathy (2004)**

_ 15th October 2004 _

“Got a lock?” Jack glanced over his shoulder at Ianto who was systematically scanning the area to detect the intermittent signal of residual rift energy that they’d been following the past hour.

“It’s reading as being five metres ahead of us.” Ianto informed, not lifting his gaze from the small screen.

Sure enough, just in visible in the distance was a small metallic sphere lying exactly where the PDA had described.

“You know I could really kiss Tosh right now.” Jack joked, bending to examine the object. “Once again, her trickeries have been rewarded. It would have taken us all day to locate something this small before.”

“It is what you hired her for I believe.”

Jack couldn’t deny that was true, but truthfully the credit went to Ianto for uncovering one of UNIT’s darkest secrets. In the year since her release, Tosh had worked wonders on the Hub and equipment, finding uses for some alien technology Jack had deemed safe, and was currently working on developing the Rift Predictor software, the prototype of which had been destroyed decades ago.

“The scanners at the Hub are detecting further electrical signals from this location.” Ianto inferred from behind him, talking directly with Tosh on his comm.

“Let get this secure back at the Hub.” Jack affirmed, carefully picking the sphere up from the floor. “We might not want to experience what happens if this activates.”

As soon as the last word left his mouth, the sphere burst to life in his hand. A rush of noise exploded inside his head, not disabling but, instinctively he snapped up his shields in defence against the onslaught on his mind. It still took crucial seconds to refocus, helped only by the dreaded realisation that anything he’d felt would be naught in comparison to Ianto.

“Ianto!” The Welshman across from him clutched his head in agony and wavered on his feet as his eyes rolled back.

“Whoa!” Simple adrenaline forced Jack forward in time to catch Ianto as the latter collapsed. “Ianto! Look at me.”

Ianto eyes squinted open a little, the pain in his head frighteningly clear even without Ianto’s strained voice.

“Hurts…”

The harshness of the screeches searing through his own mind were still unbearable, but he knew he’d share his shields in a heartbeat. The attack couldn’t kill him – immortality or not, his mental abilities were just not as sensitive as Ianto’s - but it’d would knock him out for the count for a few hours without his shields and it took all his power to strengthen them enough to stay awake. He couldn’t help Ianto if he was unconscious.

“I know, but you’ve got to block it out.” The other was slowly losing awareness, but Ianto _had_ to block it himself before it was too late. “Ianto please, you’ve got to stay awake. You’ve got to block it out.”

Jack cradled Ianto’s head in his lap, his skin flushed and warm to touch, gaze wide-eyed. The classic symptoms of shock. Jack cursed silently to himself before forcing himself to take action. He looked across at the dreaded object responsible lying exactly where he’d dropped it in his rush to catch Ianto.

“Suzie! Get that thing away from here. Get Tosh to disable it. Smash it, burn it. I don’t care.”

“Jac…”

“NOW!”

Startled by the unexpected anger, Suzie grabbed the offending box without another word and raced for the SUV. As the car disappeared further into the distance, the pressure on his own mind began to ease. Jack let a breath of relief but looking at the prone, barely conscious form in his arms, he knew the damage might already be done. He could only protect from making it worse. “Hey. Stay awake. Eyes on me okay.”

The attack on his own mind alleviated, Jack reached out with his wrap his shields around Ianto’s mind, similar to how he’d done in their first conversation four years previous in the hotel room. Jack felt some tension ease from Ianto, but there was no other reaction and he tried not to let it alarm him.

He couldn’t call an ambulance; this wasn’t something the NHS was equipped to deal with and with Suzie having taken the SUV, his options were lacking. He loosened his grip on Ianto ever so slightly and lifted the cover and activate his vortex manipulator, the nearest car on the street beeping as it unlocked.

Ianto hung motionlessly in his arms as he placed him gently on the backseat before racing round to the front. Once more he was grateful only the teleport systems on his wrist strap were broken, as it took him only seconds to start the engine with the press of a button.

He slammed the accelerator down and raced toward Ianto’s flat, all he could do now was get the Welshman somewhere quiet and warm. Jack constantly switched his gaze from between the road and the rear-view mirror throughout the drive, catching when Ianto’s eye’s started to droop, his body losing the fight to stay conscious.

“Ianto! Don’t you dare close your eyes.”

Jack reached back between the seat with one hand to grasp Ianto’s hand tightly, hoping to provide anchor for Ianto to hold on to, never once slowing the car, but despite his efforts, Ianto had passed out by the time Jack skidded the SUV to a halt.

Jack cradled Ianto’s limp form to his chest once again, sprinting up the stairs to Ianto’s flat on the second floor. Not caring what the neighbours thought at this time of night, he kicked down the door before quickly laying Ianto flat on his bed. His skin was cold under Jack’s fingers, his pulse thready and breathing almost undetectable as he bundled Ianto under his duvet for warmth.

He didn’t know what else to do, his medical abilities considerably outdated from the rudimentary field medicine he learnt in the war. True, he’d also had his training from the Time Agency, but nothing to this extent.

There was one thing he could try. The thought of it, even his own time, was considered widely unethical, but if the shock didn’t kill Ianto, he’d be lost in his own mind. Trapped in the darkness and silence, and Jack had his own experiences with a different kind of darkness to never wish that upon anyone.

He hadn’t been underestimating himself when he’d first explained his own abilities to Ianto. His own empathic and telepathic abilities, while higher than the average 21st Century humans, it wasn’t something prominent enough that he could control what and when he read. It was all he could do shield himself, and often wrap his own shields around another’s mind as he’d already done with Ianto.

Entering another’s mind was a whole different ball game.

He’d ever only attempted it a couple times before and had failed, and that was without the fact that it had been around 140 years since he’d last attempted.

Jack kneeled on the edge of the bed, tentatively pressing his fingers to Ianto’s temples. He’d barely made contact when he encountered his own steel-strong barriers in front of him, but he pushed through them effortlessly. The fragments of Ianto’s own shields were scattered behind them, and he’s inside sooner than he expected.

There was nothing but silence. Emptiness.

“Come on Ianto.” Jack murmured. “Don’t do this. I know you’re in there.” He pushed further, ignoring the burning strain of own mind.

A tiny spark of _something_ flashed in the dark, driving him even further. He caught the light, only an ember of Ianto’s presence in whole, but he held tight drawing it out from the depths of Ianto’s mind.

Something snapped open in his own mind, pain bursting into a raging fire storm of red and orange. Jack withdrew from Ianto’s immediately, collapsing to the floor beside the bed drained from the mental exertion. He’d pushed his own abilities too far, unlocked a part of him he’d never known, but it didn’t matter. He only hoped it was enough.

He sank into the familiar darkness awaiting him, missing as a bright white encompass Ianto’s body, and the latter’s breathing slowly evened out.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack sat at Ianto’s bedside. He’d awoken an hour after collapsing, and while he hadn’t died, he cursed his ability once more, only this time for not healing him fast enough. However, his worries had been pre-emptive.

Ianto’s pulse and breathing had normalised and while it was clear he was no longer in shock; the assault on his mind had worn out his body, developing a low fever. However, for the first time since Ianto had collapsed, Jack felt confident enough that he would recover.

Psychic shock was rare, even in the 51st Century, but was fast and fatal.

The knock at Ianto’s bedroom door distracted him and he looked up to find Tosh hovering nervously in the doorway. She’d since found a flat of her own in the past year, but Ianto hadn’t asked her to return her key. _Not that she would have needed it_ Jack realised, remembering how he’d kicked in the front door.

“Hey. Everything okay?”

Tosh nodded, taking his question as permission to enter. “I’ve disabled the device and it’s sealed in a containment box for you to deal with later.” Tosh paused, her gaze moving to Ianto as he shifted in bed restlessly. “How is he?”

“Better.” Jack sighed.

“Suzie said he just collapsed.”’

“Yeah.” Jack ran his hand through his hair, wearily. “The sphere was voice activated. There needs to be new procedures on collecting unidentified tech starting from now. I’ll draw something up when I’m back.”

“I help with anything you need.” Tosh assured. She handed over the keys to the SUV. “I’ve arranged for the car you borrowed to be towed back to the owners. I’ve called a Taxi to get home.”

“I could have…”

“You’ve got enough to worry about, Jack.” Tosh interrupted, nodding towards Ianto. “Just…call me when he wakes.”

_ 17th October 2004 _

Ianto slept through the rest of the night, and the whole of the next day. Jack tried to keep his hopes up, focusing to how Ianto’s mind and body was recovering as he slept, but as the minutes wore on it was getting harder and harder.

He’d managed to encourage a little water into Ianto over the course of the day, but he knew if Ianto was unconscious for much longer, he’d have to consider an alternative before he became too dehydrated. He done all he could for Ianto and hopefully it would only be a matter of time before he woke.

Since Jack had woken on the floor of Ianto’s bedroom, he had been able to tell he hadn’t got off scot-free with his determination to enter Ianto’s mind. The connection he’d made with Ianto’s mind had never fully dissipated once he’d forced himself out, and he didn’t know if or what any consequences would be in the future, but he tried not to let the distract him. He’d taken the risk and he could live with the result knowing Ianto had lived.

A low sound came from the bed, and Jack shot up out his chair, smiling as Ianto’s eyelids flickered.

“Hey there sleeping beauty.” Jack whispered, clutching Ianto’s hand reassuringly. “You scared me there for a minute.”

Ianto didn’t reply, but Jack sensed as the other reached out reflexively with his mind to test his shields. Strengthening his own so Ianto couldn’t read him, he brushed his mind against the other’s, preventing him from going further. Ianto looked at him blankly.

“Your shields have shattered. Your mind will be weak for a while, so better not to overexert it.” Jack explained. “You’re on house arrest for a while but well, it gives me a legitimate excuse to see you more often.”

“You do realise I can file for workplace harassment.” Ianto spoke for the first time. His voice was scratchy, but it made Jack grin. 

“You can try but I’m fairly sure Torchwood Three doesn’t have an HR department.”

“You probably...” Ianto started playfully. His breath caught in his chest, triggering a hacking cough, his throat dry and itchy.

“Careful.” Jack murmured, assisting Ianto into a sitting position so he could sip at a glass of water. “It took a lot out of your body.”

“Thank you.” Ianto said, the cool water easing his throat. “You probably scared them off just by the workload. That you're lazy is only the tip of the iceberg.”

Jack gasped in fake outrage. "I am not lazy!"

"Yeah, you really are. Especially when it comes to paperwork."

“Okay, Okay.” Jack held up his hands in surrender. “Enough of trashing the boss. How’s your sister and your niece.”

Ianto smiled, settling back down in the bed. Rhiannon had given birth to her daughter, Mica, seven months before, and she seemed to have grown at the speed of light every time he saw her. David had also started school the previous month, and always had more stories for him. “She’s good. Mica’s starting to get adventurous, driving her up the wall. It won’t be long before she starts crawling.”

“Maybe you could offer to babysit for a day while you’re stuck at home.” Jack suggested. “Once your stronger of course. Give your sister a well-deserved break.”

“Maybe.” Ianto murmured, eyes closing again.

“Rest.” Jack urged, seeing Ianto’s focus beginning to drift once again, only this time into a more natural sleep. “I’d better call Tosh before she strings me up.”

**Notes: Next up – We finally meet our favourite medic!**

**Please Review with your thoughts so far! I loved writing this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 13: That’s Doctor Owen Harper To You (2004)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2450

**Notes:** _The year of cannon key plots in my story relates to the years they were broadcast not the actual settings on Doctor Who fandom because their timeline simply doesn't work. Once again, we curse the fact the Doctor didn’t bring Rose back for a year shoving everything out of track._

_The way I figured it doesn't work is through how Owen's timeline doesn't fit._

_In Fragments it shows Owen being recruited at end of 2004/ beginning of 2005 (4 years from 2008/2009) which fits with him being on his second week around the time of the space pig incident in 2005 where Tosh covers for him. Boomtown has to occur 6 months after that in fall of 2005, however if we are going by the tv version of the doctor bringing Rose back in a year later in 2006 the timeline doesn't work._

_So therefore, I've gone with the common idea that Rose met the Doctor in 2004 so arrives back in 2005. It makes so much for sense to move that one episode back a year than all the others forward._

* * *

**Chapter 13: That’s _Doctor_ Owen Harper To You (2004)**

_ 21st November 2004 _

Ianto busied himself with tidying away the remains of lunch from the boardroom. He’d only been back two weeks, having to wait three after his incident before Jack had finally allowed him back to work. He’d been going out of his mind stuck at home, and while his shields had been rebuilt after only a week, Jack had been hesitant to test them too early in fear of having a setback.

Jack had been strangely tight-lipped on what had happened between him collapsing at the scene and waking up at his flat, and unfortunately Tosh and Suzie had little more to add. It was clear something was different, psychically, between them – his link to Jack felt stronger than ever – but without knowing what had occurred, Ianto couldn’t begin to understand what had changed.

As if summoned, Jack appeared at the top of the staircase to the boardroom, hovering in the doorway.

“You want to break out for the afternoon? Tosh has predicted nothing but clear skies from the rift. The ladies can handle any Weevils.”

“And do what?” Ianto asked, chucking the last of the food containers in the trash.

“Well, I was thinking we could go somewhere quiet? Work on your shields again? I have a few ideas…”

“Jack!” Tosh’s voice rang out from below, echoing loudly around the metal Hub.

“I think you spoke too soon.” Ianto quipped. Jack shot him a reactive glare before rushing down the stairs. Ianto tidied away the final few items scattered across the transparent table before following. He arrived at the workstation just as Tosh began.

“…alert on our watch list for alien hosts. A Katie Russell has been checked into emergency surgery at Cardiff Royal Infirmary, suspected brain tumour.”

“Let me guess. It’s not the NHS’ typical form of cancer.”

“When is it ever around here?” Tosh replied. “No, you logged it last year as an alien parasite. Toxic if threatened.”

“I’ll head up to the hospital. We can at least try and warn them from operating.”

Jack swept out the hub almost immediately, hoping to catch the doctors before they started the surgery, Ianto supposed.

He drifted about the main area for a few minutes to see if anyone needed anything then disappearing to the archives to file the latest reports. He had his comm if he was required, but Tosh had delved back into whatever she’d been doing before the alert, stream of code running down her computer monitor, while Suzie was bent silently over her own projects - too absorbed to even notice him lingering.

Sometimes Ianto swore she didn’t even move from her work desk the whole time she was here other than to visit the weapons store for parts.

They no longer needed organising but there were still plenty of other tasks that needed completing in the archives. Time always passed differently for Ianto way from the main Hub, sometimes dragging on but more frequently passing quickly. This morning was apparently one of the latter as it didn’t feel long before his comm buzzed in his eyes.

_“Ianto.”_

Ianto tapped to activate his end. “Yes sir?”

_“I’m on my way back. They didn’t listen of course, too much bloody red tape. I’ve got the parasite and four bodies; I need you and Tosh on CCTV and cover stories.”_

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack hated cases like these. One’s where there was nothing he could do. One’s where there would always be a victim, no matter the outcome.

When Jack returned to the Hub, Ianto was sat astride a stool in front of the computer in his office. He leant over his shoulder, silently watching Ianto overwriting all traces of his earlier interaction with Owen Harper.

“Thanks for doing that.” Jack acknowledged, when Ianto had finished. “Where is everyone?”

“Tosh went to pick up dinner.” Ianto declared. “I’m not sure where Suzie is.”

“That’s starting to be a habit. I’ll talk to her.” Jack observed. He turned towards to his desk, sliding his coat from his shoulders. “Oh. Owen Harper, the fiancé. Keep an eye on his movements.”

“I’ll make a note.” Ianto replied. He stood from the stool, and taking the coat from his hand. “No retcon?” He asked, hanging the coat on the stand in the corner of the office.

Jack shook his head, sitting down. “Would’ve had to wipe out the whole hour. He shouldn’t be made to forget his last conversation with his fiancé. I don’t approve of Retcon as much as you, it’s just an unfortunate necessity in most cases.”

“Of course.”

_ 28th November 2004 _

A week later, Jack found himself in his office beside Ianto, going over the latest finance statements with his favourite Welshman.

“Also, you asked me to remind you that Miss Russell’s funeral is scheduled for this afternoon.” Ianto added, finishing his last report. “I’ve set up for an anonymous source to pay for the service fees.”

“Thanks. Least we could do.”

Ianto nodded in return. “I’ve also spoken to Cardiff Infirmary. Dr Harper has been having trouble accepting the cover story we put in place. He’s adamant that Miss Russell and the Surgeons were gassed by an unknown creature and a man in Military Uniform attacked him and hid the truth.”

“How adamant?”

“Caused a disturbance at the hospital, even checked the security feed himself.” Ianto added. “The hospital’s placed him on involuntary medical leave.”

Jack sighed. He hoped avoiding retconning the doctor would be in his benefit, but instead Dr Harper was most likely beginning to believe he was as crazy as he was being told, when in fact it was the rest of the world that was in denial. “I’ll talk to him after the funeral.”

After Ianto left, Jack asked Tosh to pull Dr Harper’s files from the Hospital. The medic had moved outside Cardiff from London two years previous, meeting Katie only a few days after and while his employee records reported multiple accounts of poor conduct, it was clear he was smart and quick-thinking, key attributes needed when saving a life.

The Doctor hadn’t given up on his fiancé, pushing test after test to find the cause of her memory loss, and it seemed he was doing the same on trying to track down both Jack and ultimately the truth. There was no doubt the ex-Londoner was determined to do the best he could to solve a problem.

The last week and failed attempts to find the truth had made the medic angry, with already two arrests for drunk and disorderly behaviour. When he saw Dr Harper later this afternoon, he could expect what would happen, and he couldn’t blame him. In fact, Jack suspected he had an idea on how to help.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto finished up locking the Hub down for the night when the alarm blared signifying Jack’s return. He stiffened at the state of Jack, the Captain’s coat was covered in earth and crumpled while his face sported the beginnings of a black eye and a split lip. 

“What happened? I thought you were going to a cemetery, not a fight club.” Ianto asked, stepping closer. He tilted Jack’s face towards the dim light to get a better look, despite the latter’s attempts to evade him.

“Ianto, it’s nothing. I’m fine. I expected, and probably deserved it.” Jack insisted unconcerned, stepping past him. Understanding of what Jack meant drew on Ianto as he followed the Captain into his office.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. I know I couldn’t save her.” Jack sighed, dejectedly. “But maybe I could have dealt with it better.”

“What so you just let him hit you?” Ianto exclaimed. He had no intent to let Jack off that easily.

“Actually, I offered him a job” Jack deadpanned, reverting to his previous carefree manner so realistically that sometimes even with his empathic abilities Ianto found the mask difficult to see though. “After he hit me of course.” His surprise must have shown on his face as Jack merely shrugged. “We need a doctor.”

“Where is this coming from?” Ianto asked, even though he was fairly sure he knew the answer. “We’ve managed so far.”

“No, we’ve been lucky.” The other retorted, clearly more sharply than intended. Ianto swore Jack could switch between moods like a yo-yo. “Ianto, I can patch up small bites and minor weevil scratches but that’s my limit. You almost _died_ the other month!”

“And you saved me!”

“Barely! I scarcely kept you stable enough to get you home.” Jack almost shouted grimly. “I had no clue how to help you! I took a chance which could have gone either way.”

Ianto saw Jack’s resolve almost collapse as the latter leant against his desk.

“I pulled his file. He’s a good doctor. Doesn’t give up.” Jack continued. “But he’s grieving, and he needs a new purpose.”

“And you think Torchwood can give it to him?” Ianto asked rhetorically. He wasn’t sure Dr Harper would be the best fit, but he couldn’t judge the medic before they’d met. “Okay, when does he start?” Ianto conceded.

“He’s coming by the Hub tomorrow morning. I told him what we do but somehow I feel this is a case of seeing to believe.”

“I’ll inform the others not to come in until later.” Ianto said. “That will give you time to show him the ropes.”

“That’s perfect.” Jack replied with a smile. Ianto turned to leave when Jack headed for his bunker. “Oh, and Ianto. Thanks.” Jack finished, before his head disappeared below the floor.

_ 30th November 2004 _

Although only Owen’s second day at Torchwood, it appeared the record of how quickly one could piss off his colleagues and already been beaten. The ex-Londoner had constantly been rude to Tosh and completely disrespectful toward Ianto that he been begging for patience by the end of the day. In the end the only thing stopping him from slugging the medic in the face was the absence of hatred in what he could read from the medic, instead only streams of envy and grief.

Also, he grudgingly had to admit that the doctor’s efficiency in regards to his job was impressive. The medic had already restocked the medical bay with fresh supplies and had ordered each of them into agreeing to a basic medical assessment to _‘record baseline statistics for future reference’_. According to Jack, the medic had also requested their past medical records which Jack had thankfully declined for privacy reasons having told Owen he have to ask for any information people were willing to give verbally.

He wasn’t looking forward to the tests. The distrust of any medical profession still deep-seated inside him and he slowly set about finishing his jobs, delaying the inevitable until he knew the most of the others had left for the day.

“Where the fuck have you been? The others had their tests hours ago.” Owen yelled annoyed as he finally left the lower levels.

“I was working. I do have a job as well.”

“Didn’t doubt it, Teaboy. Must be hard work to know what dinosaurs eat these days” Owen griped, sarcastically. “And what kind of a twat name is _‘Minfanny’?_ ”

“Muh-VAHN-wi.” Ianto corrected automatically, becoming rather irritated. “It’s welsh.”

“Ah, and there’s my point.”

Ianto ignored him, something he felt was becoming a recurrent solution to Owen’s jibes. He took the steps down to the medical bay Owen and perched nervously on the edge of the metal table.

“So how long have you been shagging Jack?” Owen asked coolly as he collected his equipment, taking Ianto by surprise.

“What? We haven’t…” Ianto exclaimed. To be honest he was more shocked by Owen’s blatant prying more than the insinuation. After four years, it was more that obvious Jack was interested in him, but the latter was still reluctant to take their relationship any further than simple flirting.

“You’re not joking are you.” Owen realised. “Damn, you just cost me 20 quid.”

“Wait? You bet on whether Jack and I were having sex?”

“Well technically on how long. Jack might flirt with everything that breathes, but you too are closer than any married couple I’ve ever met, and I’ve only been here two days.”

Again, Ianto didn’t answer and allowed his mind to wander, distracting himself as Owen began his physical - recording his pulse and blood pressure. He guessed it was true. Jack and he did spend a majority of their time together, at both the Hub and his flat. His nephew knew him as Uncle Jack and they’d even slept platonically in the same bed multiple times over the years when Ianto was too exhausted to leave to the Hub.

Nothing had gone any further however and while he couldn’t blame Jack for it , he understood that sometimes Jack couldn’t help but still see the starved and terrorised 20-year-old he’d been when he’d rescued him, not remembering anything other than his imprisonment and too scared to move from the corner he sat in or eat with someone watching.

Ianto jolted to reality as he felt a sharp needle pierce his lower arm and panicked, he jerked away, knocking a metal platter to the floor with a loud smash, his arm striking Owen hard across the face as he tried to get away.

“What the hell is going on here?” Jack voice thundered from above, the voice bringing him out of his stupor.

“Bastard freaked out when I tried to take a blood sample. He slugged me.” Owen growled, holding his face as he clambered up from the floor where he’d fallen.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” Jack snapped, striding down the steps. “Ianto, you good?”

Ianto slouched against the white blocks of the medical bay, breathing heavily. His eyes remained closed, but he sensed Jack appear in front of him, his hands settling on his shoulders concerningly. He nodded slowly. 

“You sure?” Jack replied, still uncertain.

“Yeah.”

He still felt slightly shaken but no longer panicked. He opened his eyes, smiling reassuringly at Jack. The latter turned back towards Owen angrily, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

“Owen. Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“But…” Owen started, but Jack quickly interrupted him.

“No questions. Go.”

“Why…?”

“What did I just say about questions!?”

“Okay, Okay. I’m leaving!” Owen snapped, snatching his jacket for his desk chair. “But someone has to tell me eventually. I can’t do my job properly if I’m going to get pummelled every time I try.”

“Yeah, how about half past never?” Jack scorned. “And Owen, you better have a good explanation, or I’ll retcon you back to nappies.”

**Notes: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Owen’s incorrect pronunciation of Myfanwy is actually mine. I’d been pronouncing it as described for months until my flatmate at Uni corrected me.** **😊**

**Next up - Jack and Ianto have a long due conversation, and Jack also finds some answers he’s been searching for.**

**Please Review! Have had lots of great comments, theories and suggestions and they all really make my day!**


	15. Chapter 14: Histories and Futures (2004)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2100

 **Notes:** Thank you for all the comments so far! Always on the edge of my seat when my email pings!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Histories and Futures (2004)**

_ 30th November 2004 _

After Owen stormed out, Jack led Ianto over the hatch in the corner of his office, letting him go just long enough to climb the ladder. Jack slowly undid the buttons of Ianto’s shirt, placing the item neatly to the side before setting him down gently on the camp bed. Neither spoke the whole time, but eventually the guilt of Ianto watching Jack worrying over him was too much.

“Jack I’m fine. I promise.” Ianto assured, halting his movements. “He just took me by surprise. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Still, Owen should have asked.” Jack disputed. “I’ve heard what he’s said to you, Tosh and Suzie the last two days. I’m in the right mind to retcon him on the spot.”

“Jack.” Ianto argued. “He was doing his job. You can’t fire someone just because I don’t like him.”

“No, but I can for being excessively disrespectful to his colleagues.” Jack returned. “I told you the before we hired Suzie that I want to hear your opinion on who I hire.”

“He’s a skilled doctor, Jack. He’s just lashing out in anger towards life. You said it yourself, he’s grieving.”

“You’re probably right.” Jack finished. He dropped on the bed next to where Ianto sat, lying horizontally to face him. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

Ianto laid down opposite him, knowing that specific conversation was over, or just momentarily paused. However, there was different matter bothering him that he could no longer avoid.

“When my shields broke…what happened?” Ianto asked gently after a few moments of silence.

Jack didn’t answer, instead rolling onto his back to stare silently at the dark ceiling of his bunker.

“Something’s changed, I can feel it.” Ianto insisted. He felt Jack exhale uneasily beside him.

“When your shields shattered…” Jack started slowly. “…you were lost in your own mind. I didn’t know how to help, but as a final attempt, I entered your mind with mine to find you.”

“I didn’t know that was possible.” Ianto replied, bewildered. “I thought your abilities weren’t strong enough.”

“They weren’t, but I had to try.” Jack said earnestly, turning back on his side to face him. “But, I accidently unlocked a part of my mind I didn’t know was there.”

“Wait…How?”

“Not sure, but my abilities have changed. Increased.” Jack replied, uncertainly. “I don’t know how much, or how to use them, but I’ve noticed we can share our emotions more directly towards each other.”

Ianto frowned at Jack’s description. He could hear the silent words that he wasn’t saying. Jack had risked himself to saved him, and they didn’t know what other consequences it could trigger in. “Jac-”

“Ianto, you’re my friend. Whatever you need, I’ll be there.” Jack injected earnestly giving Ianto his first showcase of their new talents by reading him fluently. “I’m okay. We’ll figure anything else out as it comes along but you know I would do anything for you…”

“Kiss me?” Ianto’s gaze searched Jack’s, both his eyes and mind sharing his sincerity.

“What?” Jack’s dazed tone conveyed his surprise. 

“You could kiss me?” Ianto repeated, his confidence only slightly flagging now he’d said the words, but Owen’s earlier words were playing on loop in his mind. “I know you want to.”

“Ianto…” Jack sighed. “You know what I said before about….”

“That was then.” Ianto interrupted quietly but firmly. “It’s different now. I _want_ this.”

Jack studied his face intently then shook head, sighing faintly into the pillow but Ianto could sense an underlying chuckle playing on his lips. “You are far too stubborn for your own good Jones, Ianto Jones.”

“Is that a yes?”

The was no answer, but slowly and deliberately, Jack pulled him closer. Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss that surrounding Ianto in a world of warmth as he eagerly returned it. It only lasted a few moments but left him craving for more as Jack withdrew slightly.

“You good?”

“Yeah.” Ianto breathed. Slightly speechless he let his eyes and mind to the talking.

“Try not to think too hard about it.” Jack spoke quietly. “We can go a slow as you want. There’s a lot of ways to enjoy this.”

In response, Ianto simply leaned in and locked their lips together in another, more urgent kiss that drew a successful, throaty moan from the other. Jack rolled on top of him, deepening the kiss until they reluctantly broke apart for air, both panting heavily.

“You sure about this?” Jack asked again, his hands beginning to wander tentatively down his chest.

“Positive.”

_ 1st December 2004 _

Jack carefully stretched out as much as possible on the small camp bed in his bunker, trying not to jostle the sated, sleeping form that was wrapped in his arms.

He’d awoken around a couple hours earlier, but his sleep had actually been relatively long and undisturbed compared to normal, and Jack knew it was could only be because of a certain Welshman.

Normally by this time of the morning, he’d be up, usually choosing to watch the sunset from his favourite rooftop, tired of laying in bed with nothing but with his own memories as his companion.

However, this morning everything was different.

He didn’t know how long he’d dreamed of getting Ianto in bed and showing him the delights of his own body, yet it’d never felt right considering their history. Opposed to common beliefs, he hadn’t actively searched for a sexual partner for a while. Flirting was a much a part of him as breathing, but now-a-days it rarely went further. After all his years and those he’d lost, he’d begun to tire of nameless sex or even any closer relationships, but something drew him towards Ianto. A connection that’d grown stronger since Ianto’s incident.

Another 20 minutes passed in silence, before his computer beeped softly in his office above. Jack groaned under his breath. It might not be a rift alert or weevils, but no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t ignore it. Slipping quietly out of Ianto’s hold, he froze when the latter shifted slightly but thankfully, he didn’t wake.

Jack quietly donned his trousers and undershirt, leaving his shirt off for now before climbing up the ladder to his office and stepping around his desk to the computer stand in the corner. He’d never gotten used to other people having it on their desks.

His heart rate rocketed as he read the screen, not expecting what he read.

The search technology he’d privately asked Tosh to develop more than a year previously (without telling her why) had been running in the background since, monitoring any movement that would disclose Lucia’s or his daughter’s whereabouts. Nothing had ever been alerted before now and the longer he’d searched the more disheartened he’d felt. Lucia had severed all ties completely, supposedly permanently erasing anything in her life that had even the single connection to him.

However, in the last 24 hours one of Lucia old accounts he’d previously shared with her for cost regarding Melissa had been accessed, with a solitary single transfer under the name Alice Carter to MeadHaven Nursing Home in Bristol. He didn’t recognise the name but as he pulled up the file there was no mistaking his daughter.

Just as he’d imagined, his daughter had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her short black hair was in similarity to her mother’s, but the eyes were all him like he remembered. Jack skimmed the rest of the document, before bringing up a search for Alice Carter. She’d married in 1997 to a Joe Carter, with one son born 1999.

Jack’s eyes widened in wonder. He was a grandfather.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

_ 18th December 2004  _

Fate tested his resolve, as the next few weeks were jam-packed with more cases, rift alerts, and weevils than Jack had ever seen at the same time in all his century of service. Combined with training Owen for field work, it gave him little time to determine what he was going to do with his new information.

What he had deduced, however, was that Lucia had been admitted in a care home while undergoing treatment for recently diagnosed heart disease, Alice having access her mother’s unused account to pay for the care. Jack had written a check almost instantly, knowing it was the minimum he could do. Since Lucia had fled into hiding, he’d been unable to pay any child support, and wished that while it wouldn’t replace the lost years, it would at least give him an opening in reintroducing himself in their lives.

However, it wasn’t until nearly three weeks after that Jack finally found himself parked outside 27 Langham House in Bristol. He didn’t expected Alice to recognise him, but the envelope he held in his hand, containing the check and a brief letter, he hoped would go a little way to remedy that.

Jack knocked loudly on the front door, shifting nervously as he heard footsteps approaching. Eventually the door swung open, revealing Alice on the other side and Jack smiled, more as encouragement for himself than for anything else.

“Hi, Captain Jack Harkness. I’m…”

“My bastard of a father” Alice finished, coldly. “Mum was right. You look the same as your photo.”

Taken aback, Jack faltered, no longer knowing what to say next as his plan falling apart. He had known from the start she would no longer be the innocent two-year old that doted on his every word, but was unsure how to feel about the fact that while Lucia had at least acted as he existed to their child, it was apparent that while Alice knew of him, she clearly wanted nothing to do with him.

“Mum! The remote’s not working.”

A young boy, no older than five ran out into the hallway, the TV remote gripped in his hand, stopping Jack’s attempts to respond in his tracks. It was one thing to read that he was a grandfather, but seeing him in the flesh for the first time was almost unbelievable.

“Steven, go wait upstairs with Dad please.” Alice replied sternly over her shoulder.

Steven paused at the tone and Jack’s concealed his regret as his grandson looked at him for only a brief second before charging up the stairs and out of sight. Only the fact that there been no recognition in his eyes gave Jack a little hope, but it was soon dashed by Alice’s next words.

“I think you should go.” Jack tore his gaze from the top of the stairs and back to his daughter, still holding readily onto the door. It was clear he was unwelcome.

“I’m sorry for bothering you.” He responded quietly. He silently passed over the small envelope then turned on his heel, his shoulders slumping as soon as he heard the door slam shut behind him.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto leant against the railing overlooking the Medical Bay, watching the rest of the team gawp at a scurry of purple mice Owen and Suzie had acquired at their latest rift alert. He turned around at the sound of the cog door rolling open and Jack arrived through the cage, his face unsettled.

“Oi Harkness! What’d you make of these?” Owen yelled past him, but Jack stalked past into his office with no response or even any recognition that he heard, slamming the door behind him.

“What stick has got shoved up his arse?”

Owen griped, ignoring as Ianto glared at him. While Owen had matured as minimally as Ianto could think was possible since he and Jack had spoken, the medic still often rubbed him the wrong the way.

Ianto left the others with the mice, troubled by Jack’s entrance. Jack’s office was empty when he entered, but the hatch to Jack’s bedroom was open, and he quickly descended the ladder.

Jack was already laying on his small camp bed, still dressed in his greatcoat. He was facing the wall, almost trying to curl up as tightly as possible. Ianto slid in alongside him, wrapping an arm around his waist as Jack reached to take his hand, lacing their fingers together.

“What’s wrong?” Ianto asked quietly. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

Jack stayed silent, the tightening of his grip his only response but eventually shook his head. “I can’t. Not today.” He whispered, shakily. “Just stay, please?”

Ianto nodded, his spare hand trailing through Jack’s dark hair as he tipped his head forwards to press a kiss to his.

**Notes: Finally, Jack and Ianto have got together! Hoped you liked the initial confrontation between Jack and Alice. Plus, Steven always wins the day!**

**Next up - yeah not giving any spoilers. Favourite parts are next!**


	16. Chapter 15: Jeopardy And Deception 1 (2005)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 3000

 **Notes:** I split this one in two due to length. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Jeopardy And Deception 1 (2005)**

_ 8th March 2005 _

Jack sighed as he transferred the now dated and signed report to the side, checking his watch as he reached for the next that needed completing. He was on a promise, Ianto having declared that morning that if the hadn’t at least halved the amass of paperwork by lunchtime, he would not only deprive him of the best coffee, but also anything even resembling sexual activity for the next week.

Thinking back to the previous night and wondered if Ianto would actually be able to keep up his end of the deal – the sex, not the coffee – but Jack could easily remember the times Ianto’s stubbornness had won out against his own and had decided not to risk it.

Absorbed in his memories, Jack was glad no-one was around to witness him almost jump out his skin as the rift alarm blared seemingly twice a loud as usual. “Tosh, status!” He called, leaving his office quickly to congregate with Owen and Suzie around at Tosh’s workstation.

“Rift activity. Two different locations.” Tosh explained, reading the locations aloud from one monitor while cross-checking something on the other. “This doesn’t make sense; nothing was predicted for today.”

“Welcome to Torchwood. There’s no such thing as a holiday.” Jack mocked, impersonating an old colleague. “Suzie, Owen, take the first. I’ll take Cardiff Docks. Ianto...”

Jack spun around to address the other man as he entered the main Hub from the archives, making Owen groan in frustration. He knew the others found it unsettling how he always knew when Ianto entered the room, but both he and Ianto often found their attempts at speculation amusing and therefore continued to demonstrate.

“…stay here on comms, coordinate with Tosh.”

“Yes, sir.” Ianto replied, sliding Jack’s greatcoat onto his shoulders.

The three of them raced out the Hub and Ianto made his way over the monitors, Tosh typing rapidly at her keyboard. He hooked his earpiece into his ear, and activated the line, rolling his eyes at the expletives coming from Owen as Suzie clearly ignored all speed limits.

“This doesn’t make sense.” Tosh repeated, causing him to look over. She was frowning extensively at her screen beside him. “None of the external devices are detecting any activity from the rift.”

 _“It might have been too small a burst of activity for them to detect.”_ Jack theorised. _“Whatever’s come through may be small but remember it still could pack a punch.”_

 _“We’re not stupid Jack. We’ve arrived at our location now.”_ Suzie announced and Ianto could hear the slamming of car doors over the line. _“The signal says should be right…here…”_

“Suzie? Owen?” Ianto asked as the line fell silent.

 _“There’s nothing!”_ Owen exclaimed after a few moments. _“If this turns out to be a bloody hoax. I’ll…”_

 _“Owen’s right. This has all the trademarks of a trap.”_ Jack declared over the line, blocking out Owen’s complaining. _“There’s nothing at my location either. Keep your ey_ _̶ ”_

Jack voice cut out with abrupt shout of pain, and Ianto’s fingers froze over his keyboard.

“Jack?” Static answered him. “Jack!” Ianto repeated, his voice increasing in urgency as fear tried to take over, but he shoved through it, already moving for tourist office as he spoke, hoping, _needing,_ the other to respond. “Jack, can you hear us?”

 _“His comm’s dead. Last known co-ordinates sent to your PDA’s” Tosh_ interjected over the line. Ianto grabbed his keys from the hook on the wall, sprinting out to his black Audi and booting up the locator program on his PDA. He knew Jack was close at least, only a few blocks away, but the Cardiff Docks covered a lot of ground and it would take too long to find him without it.

 _“We’re on our way. 15 minutes out.”_ Owen informed in his ear.

The PDA finished loading, revealing a flashing indicator of Jack’s last know location and Ianto stepped hard on the accelerator, tires squealing.

“Make it 10!”

Ianto arrived at the co-ordinates not long after, but there was no sign of Jack, the area empty. Owen’s car pulled up behind his and Ianto jumped out his own vehicle to join the others, his eyes scanning the surrounding areas more closely.

“It says we’re right on top of him!”

“Ianto…” Owen’s unusually quiet tone made Ianto turn around. His hopes fell as he followed the medic’s line of sight towards a familiar Webley and blue-grey greatcoat discarded between two containers.

Ianto’s gut clenched as he drew nearer. The coat had a dark burn mark visible, but surprisingly that wasn’t what shook Ianto the most. Positioned deliberately on top of the coat were Jack’s worn leather wristband. Jack never removed it, even at night.

“That’s a taser burn.” Owen dipped his head towards the mark on the coat. “The bastard stunned him from behind, he didn’t have a chance.”

“He’s gone. Someone’s taken him.”

Ianto voice was hollow as he confirmed with finality what everyone was thinking. He fell quiet, only vaguely noticing as Owen and Suzie disappearing further into the Docks, searching the area to for any other signs of the Captain. He fiddled with the wristband now in his hands, not knowing how much time passed before his comm buzzed again in his ear.

 _“Ianto?”_ Tosh sounded nervous. _“I think you’d better get back here. You need to see this.”_

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto entered the Hub steps ahead of the others. The initial shock had worn off and concern spurred him into action. “What is it?” he asked, bolting to Tosh’s workstation.

“This arrived 20 minutes after we lost contact with Jack.”

She fell silent, pulling up a blank email and clicking open its single attachment. The screen loaded gradually to reveal a hazy photo of what appeared to the inside of a corrugated metal container. Jack was face down in the middle, limbs strewn as if he’d just been callously dropped to the ground. Ianto couldn’t see his face, but it was clear he was still unconscious.

 _Or worse_.

The words flashed briefly in his mind, the still image providing not evidence Jack was even alive, but he shoved them away. He wasn’t going to go there, yet, and he hoped he would never have to.

The phone rang in Jack’s office, the sudden noise after the previous silence alarming the team.

“Ignore it.” Ianto ordered uncharacteristically, not taking his eyes off the screen. “UNIT’s scheduled to call; they can wait. Tosh, can you trace where the photo came from?”

“Sorry, signal’s masked.” Tosh replied, apologetically, but tried again despite her words.

The phone rang off in the other room, but gave only a brief respite before the noise instantly resumed as the caller redialled. Frustrated at the distraction, Ianto marched into Jack’s office and grabbed the offending item, speaking sharply.

“Ianto Jones, Torchwood.”

_“Ah, finally, the almighty Torchwood. We speak at last. Now, I believe I have something you might be interested in – or should I say someone?”_

Ianto froze for second as the words registered in his brain. Racing out of Jack’s office, he dropped the phone from his ear, simultaneously switching over to loudspeaker.

“I want to speak to Jack.” Tosh and Owen looked up at his words, their expressions turning stony in recognition.

_“Sorry, I’m afraid Jackie can’t speak right now, but if you’d like to leave a message, I’ll certainly forget to pass it on when he returns from the Land of Nod.”_

Ianto clenched his jaw in anger at the childish attitude. “What do you want?”

_“Uh uh, wrong question. Someone’s been watching too many Crime Shows. What makes you think I’m going to announce my whole plan over the phone.”_

“I’m not in the mood for games. Tell us where Jack is.”

_“Now, there’s the word I was looking for: Games. How about this? You’ve got 4 hours to attempt to stop me and rescue your Captain or… oh what’s the saying? Oh yeah. End of the line people.”_

“If you hurt him…”

_“I don’t think you’re in the position to make demands, Jones. The clock is ticking.” The voice interrupted sharply. “And don’t even think about calling reinforcements or Torchy’s going to have a seat to fill.”_

The dial tone rang insultingly loud around the room as the caller hung up. “How the hell did he get our number?”

Tosh didn’t react to Ianto’s anger. “I ran a system wide scan and found back-door into our mainframe. They passed all the safeguards I programmed. I’m sorry, I didn’t notice…”

“It’s not your fault, Tosh. Jack will say the same when we find him.” Ianto squeezed her shoulder reassuring, feeling the waves of guilt emanating from her.

He failed to notice his unintentional use of _when_ rather than _if_. He still wasn’t going to consider the alternative. “So, whoever it is must have been planning this for ages then.”

“Undoubtedly.” Tosh replied. “This amount of code, it must have taken months.”

“That gives them more time to have made a mistake then.” Ianto stretched, giving Tosh a tight smile. “What about the cameras at the Docks.”

She shook her head regretfully, the distress clear on her face. “I tried to access them, while you were there.” Tosh pressed a few keys bringing up a reel of blank footage. “The cameras surrounding the fake rift alert are broken. Nothing but black screen.”

“Did you hear that?” Owen asked, coming up from behind. Ianto looked at him blankly, he hadn’t heard anything.

“I’ve always been told I have good hearing.” Owen boasted, but it sounded half-hearted compared to usual. “Turn it up and play it again.”

This time Ianto clearly heard what Owen was referring to. “That sounded like seagulls.” 

“Exactly!” Owen leant over Tosh’s shoulder to hijack her keyboard. “The camera’s not broken; it’s still recording.” He held his finger down on rewind, speeding over the footage for ages until something flickered on screen. He slowed it back down, reading the timestamp at the bottom. “This was three days ago.”

They watched as van pulled up and a masked man climbed out and collected a ladder from the rear. A few minutes later, the camera lens went dark with black spray paint.

“It was sabotaged.” Tosh breathed. “Hang on…” She rewound the footage once again, only this time pausing and zooming in on the van in the background. 

“Raymond Auto Repairs.” Suzie read aloud from the screen.

Tosh typed the company name into Google, selecting the first result and navigating to the promotional video. The voice unmistakeably matched the one on the phone.

“It’s same guy.” Owen confirmed.

“It’s a small company; single garage in Adamstown.” Tosh explained, effortlessly breaking into their systems, and scrolling through a list of employee records.

“Wait!” Ianto called, pointing at the screen over her shoulder. “Scroll back a bit.”

Tosh obeyed, scrolling back the list slower than before, selecting the ones Ianto signalled. “What’s a small auto company doing hiring three different computer experts?”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

By the time Ianto returned from Adamstown, his carefully controlled anger was about to burst. He hauled a handcuffed Raymond through the Cog Door by the scruff of his collar, dragging him across the Hub and shoving him down the steps of the interrogation room. Unlocking one cuff, he resecured it around the leg of the metal chair, before heading back up the stairs to try give himself time to compose himself.

Tosh looked nervously from her desk when he returned, having remained at the Hub to monitor the systems for more breaches. “Jack?”

“Nothing!”

“It’s not their base of operations though,” Owen voiced when it became clear Ianto wasn’t going to elaborate. He was standing in the door from the garage, keeping one eye on what was occurring behind him. “Not a single piece of computer tech anywhere, and only a handful of the employees on the list. Suzie’s with them now.”

“She can shove them cells next the weevils. I don’t care.” Ianto directed, turning back towards the door to the interrogation room. “I’ve got Raymond.”

“As I make it, there’s less than 90 remaining on the clock, Jones.” Raymond taunted as Ianto sat down opposite him. “You’re wasting your own time.”

“No, you are.” Ianto stated, firmly. “You’ve lost Raymond. We know you took Captain Harkness as a diversion but it’s over. Tell us where Jack is, and you might see the sun again.”

“You think this is over? It’s just the beginning!” Raymond snarled. “We’ve got access to your servers. We know what degenerate scheme you run here.”

“Please. Enlighten me.” Ianto replied, trying to keep the sarcasm out his voice. He could read disgust pouring from the other man, and it concerned him as he contemplated where this was heading.

“I think you are experimenting on people. Making them dangerous, calling them aliens then releasing them in the public. All so you can just play hero and ‘save’ us. My colleagues have everything. One button and all the files are released to the press. After tonight, your little scheme is over.”

“You could have kept quiet, released them before we even knew about it. Why risk us stopping you?”

“Well, what would be the fun with that.” Raymond smirked. “Go, on. Try and stop me. But tell me this Jones, what’s more important, your Captain or your secrets?”

Ianto’s anger flared. The table upended as Ianto charged forward, his momentum driving the chair backwards into the concrete wall without warning. Caught up in his wrath his carefully managed control on his power collapsed and unleashed from within, the window behind Raymond’s head blowing outwards with the force of the gale.

Overwhelmed, he bolted up the stairs of the interrogation room without another word, putting distance between him and the lunatic now trembling in his chair. Grateful not to come across anyone on his way, he crashed through the door of bathroom, taking deep breaths to regain his control.

He hadn’t lost control over his powers like that for years.

Cupping his hands under the cool water, he splashed some onto his face. He hoped none of the others had witnessed the incident on the internal camera but wagered if they had, he could easily pass the broken window off from having slammed Raymond’s head against it.

He huffed unenthusiastically in amusement at how quickly he’d come up with the excuse. It seemed that constantly producing cover stories for Torchwood had finally rubbed off on him.

A quiet knock on the door disturbed him. It creaked open a few seconds later to reveal the Torchwood medic. “Wondered where you’d vanished to. You get anything from Raymond?”

Ianto sighed internally in relief, the others clearly hadn’t been watching the interrogation. He could delete the footage later, but his lover came first.

“Nothing on Jack’s whereabouts.” He shook his head, looking at the floor. “He knows about aliens but believes they’re the results of experimenting on humans.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope. They’re a bunch of bloody conspiracy theorists!” Ianto scowled. “His colleagues have files from our servers, they’re being uploaded to the press this evening. They took Jack to prove a bloody point!”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, shit.” Ianto breathed, shoulders slumping as he leant against sink. “That sums just about everything up.”

“The Captain’s made of strong stuff, he’ll be fine. He’s probably annoying the hell out of them with his flirting.” Owen declared with a hint of confidence. “We’ll find him. Jack keeps us around for a reason, and I like to think it’s because we’re good at what we do.”

Ianto glanced up in fake surprise. “Are you giving advice? Who are you are what have you done with Owen Harper?”

“Hey, if you’re only going be cheeky, I won’t try again.”

“Sorry, I’m just…”

“Scared. We all are, but we can’t give up hope.” Owen paused. “If you ever repeat this though, I’ll deny it.”

Ianto laughed, letting Owen’s words sink in for a moment. He was right. Jack had saved him once, rescuing him from Torchwood Tower and blackmailing Yvonne into giving him his freedom. It was beyond time he repaid the favour.

The silence was broken by another, more urgent bang at the door. “Guys! Get out here.” Suzie shouted. “Tosh has found something new.”

Owen grinned. “See… what did I just say?”

He returned to the main level of the Hub, Owen close behind. The disconcerting image of Jack was once again on the screen and he looked a Tosh, confused. “I thought…”

“Just wait for it.” Suzie complained. Tosh selected a small section in the far corner of the image, a separate window appearing with the highlighted area enlarged. A program scanned the blurred image, gradually enhancing the copy to reveal a white label which would be almost impossible to spot on the original.

It still wasn’t the sharpest image, having been scaled considerably but Ianto could clearly decipher the pixelated lettering of a logo sticker.

_Cardiff Industrial Units_

_[Loc. Cardiff Docks]_

“Damn it! He didn’t even leave the bloody docks!” Ianto yelled, resisting the urge to kick himself.

“Ianto…”

“No. I should have seen it! It took me less than 10 minutes to get there as soon as we lost contact. They didn’t have time to leave, not without passing us. He was right in front of us the whole time and we missed it!”

“The Units are the opposite end of the Docks. You couldn’t have known.” Owen replied.

“I…”

“Hey!” Suzie interrupted, exasperated. “What is it with you men? Do you think we do this, say, after we get going?”

“She’s right.” Owen conceded, checking his watch. “The 4 hours are almost up.”

Ianto nodded in agreement, a determined fire in his eyes. “Let’s get Jack back.”

**Notes: Sorry! Next chapter won’t be long, promise!**


	17. Chapter 16: Jeopardy And Deception 2 (2005)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 1900

 **Notes:** The chapter I’ve been waiting for! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 16: Jeopardy And Deception 2 (2005)**

**_ 8th March 2005 (Same Day) _ **

Throughout the drive, Ianto filled Suzie and Tosh in on what Raymond had said. They all agreed they couldn’t let the files reach the Press. Once something was on the internet, it would be impossible to remove every copy.

“Tosh, any blueprints on this place?” Ianto asked, pulling up outside the units.

“Sent to your PDA’s. Latest copies are dated 1980’s, so we can’t rely on their accuracy.”

“Any sign where the main base is set up?”

Tosh shook her head. “It doesn’t say, but the scanners are presenting an unusual levels of signals broadcasting from the left-wing of the furthest Unit.”

“Okay, Tosh, Suzie, head over there. Cancel the files from sending but be careful. Keep a low profile for as long as possible.” Ianto ordered, collecting both his stun gun and standard weapon from his kit bag. “Owen, with me. We’ll search for Jack.”

“I’ve calibrated each PDA to track heat signatures.” Tosh added, passing a couple over to Ianto and Owen.

“Be safe.” Ianto declared, taking the offered device. Tosh and Suzie both nodded then slipped from the car, vanishing towards the left-wing.

Ianto and Owen climbed out in turn, heading through the right-wing access door and methodically searching each room they came across. Ianto kept an eye on his PDA, tugging Owen’s arm in heads-up as two red dots appeared on the screen. It provided only a couple seconds of warning before footsteps approached, and ducked behind some storage crate, waiting silently for them to pass. They crept up behind each man, simultaneously pressing their tasers hard against their necks, and they dropped to the floor instantly, shouts of pain muffled from the hands clamped round their mouths.

“That was for Jack.” Ianto declared, pulling some zip ties from his suit pocket, and fastening their wrists behind their backs.

 _“Careful, guys. They’re armed.”_ Tosh’s voice shared over the comms.

“Great. Just what we bloody need.” Owen’s voice dripped with sarcasm as they dragged the stunned men insensitively across the floor and into the shadows. Ianto patted down the man’s back and sides transferring the hidden pistol to his waistband beside his own.

“We need to keep moving” Ianto stated, straightening back up. “These two came from somewhere, it must be where they’re holding Jack.”

Gunshots in the distance caused made the pair freeze, and their comms hissed seconds later as they burst to life.

_“Owen! Suzie’s hit.”_

The alarm in Tosh’s tone conveyed the urgency of the situation but Owen hesitated, torn on choosing between his teammates.

“Go.” Ianto ordered, making the other’s mind up for him. “Suzie needs you first. I’ll find Jack.”

Owen flashed one last look of uncertainty, before sprinting away in the opposite direction. Ianto watched him disappear around the corner then continued forward, tracking two heat signatures on his PDA. He flashed a brief glance around the next bend. The corridor opened into a large chamber, but his eyes were drawn to the far wall recognising the same corrugated metal Ianto from the photo.

_Jack._

An access hatch was built into the wall, the heavy metal door sealed shut with an electrical locking mechanism but had also been double bolted with a crudely added padlock. A green light shone above the hatch, exposed wires trailing down the wall into the large control panel.

One man had been left as a guard, standing with his back against the wall in front of the panel and Ianto switched over his weapons. There was only one entrance to the room, making it impossible for him to get close enough to stun the guard without being spotted.

“Move and I shoot.”

The man hesitated as Ianto rounded the corner, but recovered quickly, his face reducing to a sneer. He stared Ianto directly, his eyes revealing nothing before he elbowed a switch behind him.

“No!" Ianto didn’t register his own shout as he fired, the bullet striking the man high in his shoulder, propelling him backwards. A siren screeched in warning as a green light vanished, flashing red above the door.

“What did you just do!” Ianto shouted, making no attempt to be careful as he secured the man’s hands. “Tell me!”

“Decontamination.”

The voice was hoarse, but a smug grin settled on his face. Ianto’s eyes widened in fear, barely noticing the man’s eyes flickering shut as he passed out from pain. Ianto’s eyes tracked the tubing from the control panel across the ceiling to a collection gas cylinders stowed in the opposite corner of the chamber, freezing momentarily over the yellow Skull & Crossbones symbolising a toxic hazard.

Formaldehyde gas.

He leapt to his feet, slamming his fist against Emergency Stop, the silence that descended equally as deafening as the process shut down. He hit the door release next, turning from the panel and sparking a flame in his palm as the mechanism clunked to signal the lock disengaging. Conscious of the flammable gas the other side of the door, he kept the flame impatiently low, aware of each extra second passing was another Jack that was trapped for, as he waited for the padlock to melt.

After what felt like hours, the remaining fragments of the metal lock clattered to the floor. Hauling open the heavy door, he jerked aside as a familiar form fell forwards, no longer supported against the door.

“Jack!”

Ianto dropped to his knees beside Jack, out of breath both from the exertion of using his power and weight of the metal door. He forced a few deep breaths, before focusing on the still figure in front of him.

“Jack. It’s me, Ianto. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” Jack hadn’t moved from where he’d fallen face down, and Ianto carefully rolled him over onto his back. “Jack?”

Jack’s face was slack. His eyes were closed and his lips a startingly shade of blue.

“No…” Ianto whispered, the word catching in this throat, shaken by the sight. He shook Jack’s shoulders desperately, trying to rouse him. “No! Come on, Jack! Wake up!”

He set his hand in the middle of Jack’s chest, hoping for something, but he was unnaturally still under his palm.

Nothing. Jack wasn’t breathing.

Ianto refused to believe it, he couldn’t be dead. The white spark still flickered unaffected at the back of his mind as it always did in Jack’s presence.

With the last of his hope, he reached out mentally, searching for anything of what he usually shared with Jack.

There was nothing but silence.

Ianto backed up against the wall, sliding down it to the floor, staring numbly at the still form.

He was too late. Jack was dead.

Shifting forward, he pulled Jack’s limp form into his arms. He held him close, ignoring the cooling touch of his skin as he stroked his fingers lightly through Jack’s hair. Ianto tightened his hold, leaning forward to softly press a final, faint kiss to Jack’s lips.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured quietly, lips brushing against Jack’ forehead as he spoke. “You’re free now.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Coming back to life felt like dying in reverse, but with sharper pain and a burning coldness coming from deep within. His body spasmed as he was forced back into consciousness. Gasping and choking, his lungs rebelled the lack of oxygen and he tried to curl inwards protectively but found something, no someone, preventing him.

His memories returned in chunks, panic and reflexes rearing as he thrashed as hard as his renewing strength could allow. He fought against the supposed assailant, trying to escape from the firm hold.

“Jack! Stop it, it’s me.”

The familiar voice made him freeze.

“Ianto…?” Jack scanned his eyes from slowly around the room, before landing on Ianto form still holding him closely. “Where…?”

“You were dead.” The voice faltered slightly. Ianto was staring at him in shock, and the realisation of what the younger man had just witnessed sobered him like a stone.

Jack composed himself then manoeuvred out of Ianto grasp more calmly. “I’m fine”

“How…?”

“Not now, Ianto. I’ll explain later. Promise.” Jack cut off Ianto’s question, rising unsteadily to his feet. His insides were twisting as he read the blatant suspicion that materialised in Ianto’s eyes, and he wanted nothing more to explain, but other matters had to come first. He still had no idea where he even was, his memories of everything after being attacked at the Docks muddled. “What’s been going on? Where are the others?”

“The other side of the compound. Suzie was hit.” Ianto spoke succinctly, standing himself.

Jack drew in a slow breath at the words, releasing it at the same speed. “She alright?”

“Haven’t heard anything.” Ianto returned, tapping to unmute his comm. “Owen? Tosh? I’ve got Jack. How’s Suzie?”

Jack didn’t have his own comm to hear the reply, but was close enough to Ianto to hear the words _‘Through and through’, ‘shoulder’,_ and _‘stitches’ coming_ from Owen over the line, reassuring him that their teammate was at least alive and, hopefully, would eventually be alright.

“Okay, we’re coming to you.” Ianto declared from beside him. Jack looked towards him expectantly, but the other strode away wordlessly, leaving him catching up.

Tosh embraced him tightly on his arrival, relieved to see him and then brought him up to speed with what had happened as they cleared up the scene.

There were three fatalities on the workers side, but without another option available, they’d resolved to retconning the remaining few involved that were merely stunned. As much as Jack would have wanted to see them rot in jail, the other employees apparently back in the cells at the Hub would also need to be retconned over the next few days, including Raymond, but waiting would at least give them a while to stew on what had happened before they were forced to forget.

Ianto hadn’t directed another word at him since he’d revived and vanished almost immediately after they returned to the Hub, Jack staring after him dejectedly. Tosh flashed a puzzled expression between him and the door the Welshman had taken, asking if anything was wrong, but Jack brushed her off gently with the excuse of needing a shower.

Entering his office, Jack found his greatcoat neatly folded on his desk, his Vortex Manipulator and Webley placed carefully on top. Picking up his VM, he ran his fingers over the worn leather reverently, before shakily fastening the strap back around his wrist. After all of his years, his arm felt bare without it.

He skipped the shower, opting to sit in silence, as he waited for the inevitable confrontation. Owen and Suzie were already leaving for the night, the medic driving her home due to her injury, but the seconds ticked by slowly until the alarm blared signalling Tosh leaving.

At just past midnight, Jack looked up nervously as Ianto appeared in the doorway of his office. “I think we need to talk, _sir_.”

**Notes: Soooooo sorry but the temptation to leave this here was too compelling! Next Chapter up tomorrow I swear! All reviews welcome!**


	18. Chapter 17: Truth and Consequences (2005)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 2000

 **Notes:** As promised I posted as soon as possible, just as my views pass 1000! Apologies once again for the cliff-hanger.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Truth and Consequences (2005)**

_ 9th March 2005 _

Ianto closed the door behind him as he entered Jack’s office, staring persistently at the latter but ensured both his face and mind revealed nothing.

“This wasn’t the way I wanted you to find out.” Jack began, uneasily. “But I kept putting it off again and again until…”

“You died.”

Jack nodded and closed his eyes both in guilt and to avoid looking at him.

“You _died.”_ Ianto repeated. No response came at first and he began to pace, too agitated to stand still. He’d gone over the events of the day over and over since they’d returned, but nothing had seemed to have helped him process Jack’s death and subsequent resurrection.

“I can’t die.” Jack admitted finally. “Well technically, I can, it just doesn’t seem to stick. Nothing’s changed, right. I’m still me.”

Jack fell quiet, looking hopeful, but the words rang over and over in mind and his temper snapped.

 _‘Nothing’s changed’_.

 _“_ Fuck you, Jack!” Ianto spat, shoving him backwards and hard as he could without releasing his powers. “I thought you were dead! I thought I’d _failed!”_

Jack stumbled back more from by surprise than from his strength. He grabbed the corner of the sofa to stop himself from falling. When Jack slowly looked up again moments later, his hopeful expression had changed to one of weariness, making Ianto pause.

“Ianto, sit down.” Jack requested, sounding defeated as the fight left his eyes. “Please.” He added, quietly.

Ianto settled awkwardly on the sofa. Jack wheeled his chair out from behind his desk and sank into it opposite from Ianto, studying on the floor studiously as he started, voice quiet.

“I know I don’t deserve it but, promise me you’ll listen. You can walk out, punch me, scream at me, whatever you want after, but just give me a chance to explain, please.”

Ianto nodded dejectedly, reading the fear and trepidation coming from Jack. “I promise.”

“I wasn’t always like this. Something happened a long time ago. In the future. I sacrificed myself for a friend. I died.”

“He must have been some friend.” Ianto retorted, still too angry to know what else to say.

“He was.” Jack replied softly. “I mean I hoped he was. I travelled with him. The Doctor he was called, and his companion, Rose. They saved me, rescued me from my own mistakes, made me a better person.”

“What? That Doctor. The one Torchwood was built to defend against?”

“One and the same, only Torchwood got it wrong. He saves people. Anyway, we got transported to a TV satellite and got caught up in a battle for the Earth. I gave my life giving my friend time to save the planet. I thought that was the end…but then I woke up.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I guess he must have thought I was dead because he left before he could explain.” Jack presumed, shrugging. “This is a vortex Manipulator, it used to be able to travel in time.” Jack continued, gesturing to his wristband. “I jumped back in time, aiming for the 21st Century. The best place to find him again.”

Jack chuckled under his breath. “I missed by a long shot. My V.M. shorted out and I ended up stuck in 1869. I assumed that maybe I hadn’t actually died, or if I had, that it was just a one off. So, I settled down, tried to make a life for myself, but over the years I realised I wasn’t aging. I didn’t get sick. If I got hurt, I healed quickly. And then it happened again, there wasn’t a single doubt about it. And it’s kept happening, ever since. No matter how I died.”

Jack paused for a second as if checking for a reaction, but Ianto stayed silent.

“I didn’t take it very well as you imagine. Spent most of the following years drinking myself to a stupor, cursing the Doctor as loudly as I could to anyone who would listen. It’s how I came to Torchwood’s attention.”

“They thought you could tell them where to find him.” Ianto breathed as he realised.

“Exactly.” Jack nodded. “They soon figured out I didn’t, but here I stayed…”

“For over a century, it seems.” Ianto finished, unable to keep bitterness out his voice.

Jack stood, turning his back on Ianto to hide his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” He whispered, turning his head slightly as he spoke but not lifting his gaze from the floor.

“It’s been _years,_ Jack. I’ve told you everything I remember about myself. I thought you trusted me.”

“Ianto.” Jack spun back around; expression showing his eagerness to correct him. “I’ve NEVER once not trusted you. It’s not about trust. I’ve over 150 years of experiences, Ianto. I have more secrets than you could possibly imagine, some to protect people, but mostly it just comes with the territory. Something like this…it’s not something you can just blurt out in the middle of a conversation.”

“Jack, that’s rubbish and you know it. How many times have I been frightened for you? Seen you get hurt over the years. _Died_ even without me noticing and hid it. You can have told me at any one of those times.”

Jack thought for a long moment, looking at the floor. “Maybe…maybe that’s why I didn’t.” He whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“I…. urgh…. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Try.” Ianto urged.

“What if…what if I just liked no-one knowing for once. Everyone in Torchwood the last century knew, and I was cannon fodder! _‘Look there’s an unknown alien on a rampage. Why don’t you call Harkness? If it’s deadly it won’t matter.’_ Oh, hang on. This one’s even better…” Jack quoted sarcastically, getting increasingly wound up. “… ‘W _e need someone to play dead... I know, let’s shoot Harkness and make it more realistic’._ Maybe I just wanted to be treated like a human being for once in 100 years!”

Jack cut his rant short dramatically, slumping on the sofa beside Ianto in defeat. “Sorry.” He whispered; his voice smothered by his head in his hands.

“Jack…” Ianto’s anger had fled. From the levels of mixed emotions pouring from Jack it wasn’t surprising the Captain had snapped. “Don’t apologise, not for that. You’ve kept all that locked inside for years, haven’t you?”

“Yeah…”

“If they did all that…and more, why did you stay?”

“At first – blackmail.” Jack acknowledged, remembering the faces of Alice Guppy and Emily Holroyd vividly with disdain. “I knew that if they treated me like that while I was an ally, then it wasn’t hard to imagine how they’d would have done if they considered me a threat. It… it was one of the first things I thought when I found you those years ago. What you went through, that could have very easily been me.”

Ianto nodded, feeling Jack’s pain and honesty as his own. He focused on the other man instead of getting lost in his own memories, sitting down next to him. “You said at first…what about after.”

“Afterwards…I think it was the same reason you stayed and didn’t run for the hills.” Jack explained. “I was proud of the work… just not the way the Powers At Be wanted it done. I hoped to change it.”

“But there must have been another way. Another way to protect people without being part of Torchwood.”

“Not that I could think of. And the thing is, I don’t mind dying if to save others from that fate. I just hoped that sometimes they’d just act like I was a normal human. I said I couldn’t explain why I didn’t share my immortality; I think I can now. It was you. The team. You were concerned and cared every time I got injured, and I liked that. No matter how much I grouched if Owen had to patch me up. Hell, you lot just spent the last day looking all over Cardiff for me. No-one would have bothered before, well other than check I wasn’t going to reveal any secrets. I guess…I guess I didn’t want that to change.”

“I….” Ianto fell silent and simply wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulder, pulling him closer. Jack tensed at the contact, making no move to look at him. Ianto reached up, gently turning him around by his chin. Jack’s eyes still echoed the fear and insecurity Ianto could sense through his shields. “Would you like to come home with me tonight?” Ianto asked, not wanting to let Jack out of his sight again after the events of the day, or when he was in this state.

‘You still want me?” Jack whispered disbelievingly, but instead of answering, Ianto leaned forward to seal their lips in a deep kiss. Jack froze, sceptical but eventually relaxed himself enough to return the kiss. Parting their lips slightly Ianto finally replied.

“You’re an idiot, Jack. Of course, nothing will change, I promise.” Ianto replied honestly. “And I won’t tell anyone else if you don’t want me too.”

“Thank you.” Jack sighed with relief. “I should. I know I should, but I can’t. Not yet. I just need a little longer.”

“Whenever you’re ready. It’s your secret to share.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

_Sirens were going off, and he could hear the people screaming as they were exterminated, one by one, until he was the only left. His gun clicked empty, and he stood there, arms spread wide, ready to go down with pride. The sharp sensation of burning pain ripped through him only moments later as the world went black..._

_…then came the tugging sensation from deep inside him and everything went bright once again. Bodies lay scattered in every corridor, surrounded by mounds dust. He raced towards the familiar noise of TARDIS, watching as it vanished from view, leaving him isolated thousands of miles in space. He screamed internally, loud and with frustration, pain and betrayal…_

Jack woke with a start, panting as he shook off the effects of his nightmare with practised ease. He glanced at Ianto, reassuring himself he hadn’t woken the latter up. After the previous day and the sombre conversation with Ianto, he had been expecting them and hadn’t anticipated even trying to sleep. Yet, once in Ianto’s warm double bed, he’d suddenly felt unusually beat, something that definitely, however, had nothing to do with the slow sensual sex that had transpired as soon as they’d collapsed back onto the pillows.

Going back to sleep now however was not an option. Jack slid from under the covers, blindly grabbing his trousers as he made his way over to the large window in Ianto’s bedroom. Ianto’s flat was only on the second floor, but still gave him a good enough view for thinking, without needing to head for a rooftop.

It would take them both a while to come to terms with the latest events, him with understanding Ianto’s unfamiliar acceptance of his cursed gift, and Ianto with… well he wasn’t sure exactly what but there would certainly be something. Jack liked to think their _reconnection_ earlier that night had been a distinguished first step, but most of all, he was intrigued.

Ianto now knew more about him than anyone on Earth – or otherwise – ever had, and it made him wonder what exactly it was about the younger man that made him want to open up, especially about his past. He wasn’t proud of who he’d been before meeting the Doctor, and not even of some the things he’d done over his century of service in Torchwood, but Ianto he believed, brought out the best in him and sometimes, he thought, even more than the Doctor.

**Notes: Next up – the latest rift retrieval perks Suzie’s interest.**

**I know a few of you had wondering when Jack would finally reveal his immortality to Ianto. I first had this chapter planned for earlier – around chapter 7 – but I felt I wanted to keep one of my cards to my chest a bit longer, and immortality trumped over the Flat Holm reveal. Hoped the reveal was up to your expectations, however.**

**Please review, they make my day!** **😊**


	19. Chapter 18: Tempting Fate (2005)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 1680

 **Notes:** Slightly shorter chapter than normal but is of course setting up some plot points for Part 3! Have fun!

**Chapter 18: Tempting Fate (2005)**

_ 8th _ _ May  _ _ 2005 _

Jack had been subtly watching the team all morning. Tosh had come in early and had remained nose-down in a mess of wires and components since. Suzie however, now fully recovered, was at her own workstation soldering while Owen was down in medical autopsying a long list of various aliens. 

It was a quiet morning in the Hub, a relief it seemed after the past 5 months. The number of Rift alerts had slowed from the surge after Owen’s recruitment, but the data clearly showed the rates of activity were still steadily growing. Tosh’s program predicted activity that afternoon, but for now it was time to catch up on reports and projects.

Loud clattering and swearing came from the medical bay. Jumping to his feet, Jack moved over to the doorway, watching silently as Owen stomped up the steps to the main level, covered head to toe with purple gloop. His face was vivid red with anger in contrast, the medic standing stock still at the top with his arms outstretched and frozen. From simply the colour alone the three of them could guess what alien he’d been in the process of autopsying, meaning they knew the substance wasn’t harmful but that unfortunately made the circumstances dramatically more amusing.

“Owen.” Jack piped up through the shrill laughter emanating from Suzie and the politely smothered chuckles from Tosh. “Go shower before you drip that stuff all over the Hub.”

The medic raced off to do as asked, clearly eager to escape the humiliation. Laughing himself, Jack returned to his seat, picking up the office phone to call Ianto who was currently managing Tourist Office.

“You’ll never guess what just happened to Owen.” Jack began as the line clicked.

 _“He found an alien device that can stop people asking pointlessly stupid questions?”_ Ianto clearly wasn’t in the mood for any games.

“Ouch. That bad up there today?” Jack returned, not actually offended by Ianto response.

 _“Five separate people have asked where the Millennium Centre is. Five! Anyone would think they didn’t pass it on the way here.”_ Ianto sighed heavily. _“Sorry sir, what has he done this time?”_

Jack related the events of the last 5 minutes, not sparing any details at Owen’s defence. “…could you possibly get lunch in? If everyone doesn’t have a break soon, someone’s going to suffer an aneurysm, and that includes you.”

 _“I’ll lock up and head over to the Chippie.”_ Ianto agreed. _“That will probably be fastest. I’ll be down in 20.”_

“Sounds delightful.”

Thankfully, the expected rift alert struck just as they were finishing their lunch. Jack had experienced enough times having to abandon his food to respond to a call, only seconds after actually sitting down for the meal.

Tosh sped to her workstation and pulled up the location of the alert, causing multiple groans to echo around the Hub. The red dot indicated the middle of the Cardiff Reservoir.

“Bloody spectacular.” Owen griped, removing the towel that still hung around his shoulder from his earlier shower. “How are we meant to find that?”

“The same way the shop got today’s lunch.” Jack replied, grabbing his coat. “Looks like we’re going fishing.”

Arriving at Llanishen Reservoir, the first object was disconcertingly easy to locate. It was floating towards the water’s edge, and was effortlessly fished out without incident, immediately locked in a containment box. Unfortunately, Jack knew that while this one item might have been light enough to float, whatever may have possibly slipped through with it might not have been.

“Tosh, Owen, take this back to the Hub. Ianto, contact whoever owns this place and get us unrestricted access.” Jack ordered, each member hastening to complete their respective tasks. “Suzie, we’re going to have to dredge the reservoir. There might not be one item.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

“What did you find?” Jack asked as Suzie entered the boardroom a few hours later where the rest of them had been reviewing files.

“Lots of flotsam and jetsam.” Suzie announced, placing a load of containment boxes on the table. “The only thing worth mention is this.” She opened one of the larger containers to reveal a metal glove.

“It’s a rusty old glove from a suit of armour! It’s probably not even alien.” Owen grouched, slumping in his chair in the boardroom.

“Suzie’s right.” Tosh cut in, sending the results of her scan to the large screen. “It’s definitely not regular armour; it’s packed with technology and circuits. Not certain what its purpose is yet, but it’s clearly not terrestrial.”

“Did it come from the same rift alert we picked up earlier?” Jack asked, trying to decipher any of the technical terms on the screen. 

“Unlikely. It’s a completely different structure and metallic compound, plus the levels of algae suggests it’s been submerged in the reservoir for centuries.” Tosh theorised. “Approximately since the 15th-16th Century.”

“No-one was aware of, or monitored the rift in those times.” Ianto counted. “There wouldn’t be any reports if it fell though that long ago.”

“Is it dangerous?” Jack

“Not outwardly.” Tosh supplied, rechecking her scans. “No radiation or biochemical compounds, but without knowing what it does…”

“I’ll look into it.” Suzie announced, abruptly interrupting Tosh. “I want to try it on. It’s clearly designed to be worn by a species of similar stature hands as our own.”

“We still don’t know it’s safe.” Jack argued, dubious. “Anyway, I thought you were too busy with your other projects.” Suzie had barely been engaging with the team recently, despite his numerous talks. All he could get from her was that she was too busy, however he was yet to see a completed report from any of her developments.

“I finished my latest major project yesterday and my others aren’t time constrained.” Suzie returned, unfazed by Jack’s reservations. “I have a feeling this could be something important.”

Jack hesitated, but eventually relented. “Fine, but full protective gear and keep to the firing range until we’re positive it’s not a weapon.” Suzie bolted from the boardroom before he’d even finished, and he called after her as she vanished down the stairs “I want weekly reports. No excuses.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

_ 9th May 2005 _

The hub was dark, deserted for the night when Ianto returned only a couple hours after he’d left the previous evening. The alarms silenced to expose quiet clanging sounds echoing around the space. Following the sounds down into Jack’s bunker, he found the door to the bathroom open, said Captain lying on the floor his head completely vanished through the wall under his shower.

“Jack?

A loud clash of metal answered him followed by a muffled shout. “Ow!” After a short beat, Jack slid out holding his head, his hair flecked with dust and concrete. “A little warning next time eh Ianto?”

“Sorry. Also, I might regret asking, but what are you um…doing?”

“Got a leak. Almost flooded the bathroom so I thought I’d try my hand at fixing it” Jack replied casually, standing to brush the dust off his clothes. “Anyway, I thought you had today off. What are you doing here so early?”

“Had too much on my mind.” Ianto replied. “Something about that glove Suzie found…I don’t know it…it just doesn’t sit right?”

“Why? We don’t even know what it does?”

“Exactly. Just, I thought I caught a feeling or something from it as Suzie was leaving the boardroom, like it was something we shouldn’t be playing with.”

“Tosh assured it most likely wasn’t dangerous, maybe…” Jack started, then thought silently for moment as he exited the bathroom with Ianto on his tail. He waited patiently for Jack to respond, the latter eventually sighing. “You might be right, you usually are. I’ll certainly keep a closer eye on this project than her others, any sign of something dodgy and I’ll put a stop to it.” He assured determinedly, turning to look back at him. “You staying?”

Ianto shook his head in the negative. “I’m going to head down to the archives.”

”Ianto, I gave you time off for a reason. You haven’t had a break for weeks. Take the day.” Jack urged, giving up trying to clean his clothes. He pulled off his shirt and trousers to dump them in the corner of the room. “Anyway, didn’t you finish organising the archives years ago.”

“Tosh and I had an idea earlier I thought I could get started on…”

“Oh, really?” Jack exclaimed with exaggerated cheerfulness, flopping onto his bed. “And what is this enthralling idea my two favourite geniuses have developed that is so exciting you can’t wait for a whole day?”

“Jack, I’m not a genius…” Ianto changed his train of thought at Jack’s glare. “We thought we’d start developing a secure database to digitise the archives. It might make it easier to cross-reference files, and if we also add a note marking the corresponding room and shelf number for any related artifacts, it might mean we can locate them quicker.”

Jack hummed. “Sounds promising. Finding ways to save time is often beneficial to in the long run.” He answered, frowning in thought. “Might have a field advantage too. If we need to access a file to find a tactical advantage and there’s no-one at the Hub, we could remote connect to the database if we have a secure enough connection.”

“I’ll speak to Tosh about the technicalities and get started.”

“Ianto…” Jack reached for his pocket watch to check the time. “…it’s not even 2 in the morning. You can at least wait until normal working hours.” He shifted further across the narrow bed towards the wall. “Come here.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Neither am I.” A twinkle started to appear in Jack’s eyes. “But I’m sure we can find a way to wear ourselves out.”

Blood rushed downwards before he could control himself and he climbed onto the bed. “Well… now you say it like that...”

**Notes: Only two chapters left in this part. As I explained, this one was shorter than usual but I’m hoping the next chapter will make up for it. It’s super long and it’s the one and only BOOMTOWN!**

**What you think is going to happen? I swear the chapter wrote itself!**


	20. Chapter 19: Boom Town (2005)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) ­­

 **Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 4500

 **Notes:** Told you it was a long one! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 19: Boom Town (2005)**

_ 21st _ _ June  _ _ 2005 _

“Since when do you give me newspapers in the morning?” Jack asked, retrieving the folded paper from under Ianto’s arm so the latter could place the tray containing coffee and his breakfast onto his desk. He dropped the newspaper onto his desk, sneaking a quick kiss from the Welshman.

“There’s something on the front page you might find interesting.” Ianto replied, once they’d parted. “It’s related to what Tosh was investigating about the new Mayor last month before you stopped her.”

Jack stuffed a large mouthful of his croissant. “Thanks, but I’ve got it covered.” He said, talking with his mouthful until he caught Ianto’s glare. Chastised, he swallowed the remaining lump with difficulty before he continued. “It’ll get sorted sometime in the next few days or so.”

“If you’re sure, sir.” Ianto answered, absentmindedly organising the paperwork scattered across Jack’s desk as he waited for Jack to finish eating. “I’m about to head out to town. Myfanwy and the Weevils are low on meat and other supplies are dwindling. Is there anything else you require?”

“No, thanks. I’m sure your list has everything covered.” Jack could rely on Ianto more than himself to remember what they needed for both the team and the other residents.

“I’ll pick up lunch on the way back.” Ianto supplied, leaving the office with the now empty tray.

Jack watched him leave on the CCTV, his car disappearing off the screen when another sight caught his eye on the opposing camera. Jack almost leapt to his feet in surprise as the TARDIS materialised in front of the Water Tower, instead using the momentum to flip open the folded newspaper Ianto had just brought him.

The picture of Margaret Blaine stared back at him, but Jack could help but see the Slitheen in a dead woman’s skin. He’d been preparing for this day for months ever since the announcement of the Blaidd Drwg project, steering the team away from investigating, but he’d not remembered the exact day that his mortal self had arrived in Cardiff for that first time.

Parts of him screamed at him to run out and see the Doctor and Rose, to reunite once again, but it was an impossible thing to do. He wouldn’t get his answers from this reincarnation of the Doctor and it was crucial he didn’t change what had happened. He’d done too much in the last century, met and saved too many people to risk changing the past, and doing so would surely only bring Reapers down on them.

It wasn’t the first time he’d had to avoid himself. The most important job right now was to disable the CCTV and put the Hub on partial lockdown where his team would be safe.

Jack disabled off the external cameras electronically then brought the emergency procedures up onscreen, pressing enter on his keyboard to activate. The Hub plunged into semi-darkness, with various shouts of protest drowned out by alarms as the cog door closed and multiple locks engaged around the Hub with loud clunks.

“Jack!” The shout alerted him to the footsteps outside only seconds before his door slammed open and Suzie stormed in, face red in anger. “We’re locked in! The doors won’t budge for 24 hours!” She explained, the others came up behind her but waiting in the doorway.

“Nothing to worry about.” Jack assured, trying to make himself as convincing as possible. “Simple test of security procedures.”

“You know I’m unavailable Tuesday evenings.” Suzie snapped, leaning on the desk intimidatingly. “Deactivate it!”

“No.” Jack retorted back, sharply. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t. Missing one week of wherever you go won’t kill you.”

Suzie spun around and stormed out, not even bothering to argue further, Owen following behind, shaking his head.

“What about Ianto? He said he was going on a supply run.” Tosh asked, not moving from the doorway.

Jack froze. He’d been fixated on avoiding the other’s leaving that he’d forgotten Ianto wouldn’t no longer be able to return after completing his errands.

“We’re only on partial lockdown.” Jack surmised. “Call him. He’s just gained himself an extra day off.”

Tosh nodded then turn to leave. Jack leaned backwards in his desk staringly edgily at the blank monitors in front of him.

Ianto was still out there, with his past self about to head into town and in around 12 hours the Plass would become a battleground. His memory was a bit foggy after so many years, but he remembered clearly the damage of the Rift had caused from the TARDIS’ external cameras before they’d left.

Damn. He hated potential paradoxes.

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Ianto looked down at his list in his hand one last time checking he’d finally gotten everything they needed, and wondering what to do next. Tosh had called a couple hours previous saying the Hub was on lockdown for training purposes, which meant he was unable to enter the Hub until the following morning.

With the extra time, Ianto had managed to complete a few other errands he’d planned to leave for another day, but now it was mid-afternoon and with nothing else to do, he packed the shopping in the boot of the car before getting in and driving in the direction of his flat.

Halfway home he pulled over abruptly, cursing. He’d left his housekeys in the Hub and restraining himself from kicking the interior of his car, he swung around in a U-turn, heading back towards the bay. He would have to get a hotel for the night.

~

A few hours later, it was beginning to get dark. Ianto left the hotel for one of the restaurants on the Plass, when something caught his eye. Standing spot-on in the centre of the Plass in front of the Water Tower was a bright blue Police Box. Not just any Police Box, but the TARDIS. Nobody seemed to notice, walking by without even taking a second look in its direction, but for Ianto it was a clear as day.

After his conversation with Jack the other month when he’d discovered the Captain’s immortality, Ianto had searched the archives for any further mentions of the Doctor, hoping futilely that he’d find something that’d give Jack some of the answer’s he was looking for.

Someone bumped into him, pulling him out of his daze and making him realise he couldn’t stand there in the middle of the Plass. Before he could move however, the wooden door of the TARDIS swung inwards and _Jack_ stepped out. Something was different about this version of the Captain. It took Ianto a second to realise the usual spark in his mind that signified Jack’s presence was missing, but even without the source of his connection with Jack that he was familiar with, there was no doubt in his mind that this was the Captain. He looked exactly as he had that morning, only dressed in unfamiliar, modernised clothing and noticeably younger.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he kept track of Jack with one eye, he pulled out his phone and pressed speed-dial to Tosh.

“Jack shut the Hub down on purpose, didn’t he?” He asked, as the line connected. “Other than for testing the systems I mean.”

 _“I have my suspicions. We’ve never had drills before.”_ Tosh replied. _“Why?”_

“I think I have a fairly good idea” Ianto replied, hiding behind one of the columns on the Plass when the younger Jack turned around momentarily. “If I’m right then it’s not my story to tell, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

 _“If you’re sure.”_ Tosh returned, uncertainly. _“Just don’t get yourself in trouble. Jack would murder me.”_

“You and me both.” Ianto joked. “I’ll call you later.”

_“Be careful”._

Ianto hung up the phone before decisively following the younger version of his lover off the Plass and down the side streets. It was strange tailing a younger, more care-free Jack across Cardiff. There was a definite bounce in his step that Ianto didn’t recognise and he briefly wondered how long it would be before everything changed for this Captain. 

Jack vanished around the corner, and Ianto picked up his pace in return, but when he reached the junction he froze.

The street was empty.

Ianto spun in a completed circle, bewildered. He’d been so focused on following Jack that he hadn’t noticed where they’d been heading, and they’d circled back round to the edge of the Plass. A hand snatched his suit jacket from nowhere, forcibly hauling him backwards into an alley.

“Who are you! Why are you following me!” Jack snapped angrily, shoving him painfully against the bricked wall.

“Jack, stop.” Ianto struggled against the grip as he spoke. “You’re hurting me.”

“How do you know my name!?” Jack snarled, his eyes darkening. Ianto groaned internally, realising his slip. The pressure against his chest loosened slightly but didn’t relinquish completely. “Who sent you?”

“Nobody!” Ianto returned hastily. “I…um. I was…”

He stumbled over the rest of his explanation, knowing he couldn’t tell this Jack the truth. The Captain must have read his uncertainty or something in his eyes as he let go. His training however told Ianto he wasn’t out the woods completely as Jack shifted to the side subtly, evidently blocking the only exit from the alley.

“What’s your name?” The Captain asked again, his tone still sharp, but slightly less threatening. Ianto weighed his options internally, wondering what harm just his name could do.

“Ianto.” Jack stared unrelentingly, and he sighed. “…Jones. Ianto Jones.”

“As much as I would enjoy it, I take you weren’t following me because you thought I was an easy catch.” Jack asked. “Seeing you know my name all in all.”

Ianto shook his head. “Just wondering where you were going.” Usually, the best lies had the most truth to them.

“Well, you certainly picked the least interesting moment of my life to shadow.” Jack joked, seemingly not bothered by the remark. “Had a spare 15 minutes in what I was doing, thought I’d get out myself. Friends are busy.” He shrugged, turning serious again. “What do you want? I presume you’re not here to kill me, Most would have already tried already.”

Ianto opened his mouth to reply when his phone rang unexpectedly.

“Are you going to answer that?” The younger Captain asked impatiently when Ianto initially didn’t move.

Ianto glowered, fetching his mobile from his suit pocket and reading the caller ID.

 _“What’s going on!”_ Tosh’s panicked voice rang over the line as he answered. _“Jack’s had a seizure. Owen can’t find anything natural to explain it, and he’s having trouble keeping him stable.”_

“Wait. What?” Ianto felt his heart almost turn to stone. His expression fell, causing the younger Jack to look at him concernedly, but ignored him.

 _“He just collapsed without warning. What’s happening? Do you know something we don’t_?” Tosh continued and Ianto could almost imagine her eyes narrowing the other end of the line.

“Have you met me? I know many things you don’t.” Ianto joked, but it rather half-hearted when mixed with his worry for Jack. “How is he?”

 _“He’s unconscious. Owen’s given him some anticonvulsant drugs, but he’s already had another episode since.”_ Tosh apprised anxiously. _“He can’t understand what’s causing them.”_

“I think I…”

The ground ripples beneath his feet, making him pause. Nothing followed for a brief moment but then the world shifted under him, knocking him off balance. His phone crashed to the ground as he fell forward, colliding with the Captain with an unusually loud exclamation of obscenity.

Ianto’s head pulsated with pain as the ground shook violently. He strengthened his shields reflexively as he scrambled to his feet, pushing through the rest of the discomfort that he couldn’t block. Screams rang out from the busier areas of the bay as people reacted to the unexpected quake.

“The rift!” Ianto exclaimed, watching as a bright white light appeared, the energy streaming from the TARDIS into the sky.

“It’s being forced open!” Jack yelled over the noise, clambering to his own feet, his need for an explanation from Ianto clearly now forgotten. “It’ll destroy the city!"

Jack raced across the Plass, Ianto trailing instinctively. They dodged the cracks forming in the concrete, shoving open the door to the Police Box. Ianto barely paused a second at the larger interior, following the younger Captain to the centre console. The noise was deafening both externally and mentally, and sparks shot out of the wires and circuits.

“It’s the extrapolator! We need to disconnect it!” Jack explained urgently, ducking under the console to retrieve a large device and Ianto copied his actions, reaching to disconnect the cables attached to the device. On the second, the wire sparked. Ianto hissed in pain, snatching his hand away, causing Jack to look over.

“You alright?”

“Burnt my hand.” Ianto grimaced, cradling his hand to his chest. “Don’t worry about it. Keep going!”

The Captain turned back to the extrapolator, when the door smashed open behind them and a thin man in a leather jacket sprinted into the room, followed closely by the new Mayor.

“What the hell are you doing?” The man snapped, gaze switching between the two of them. “And who the hell is he?” Ianto thought he could almost catch some distrust in his tone, and wondered what exactly the relationship was between Jack and the man he could now presume was the Doctor.

“It just went crazy!” The Captain answered, ignoring the second question as he continued working, rapidly disconnecting multiple tubing and wires.

“Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's going to disappear!” Ianto added, using his other hand to disconnect two wires Jack pointed towards.

“It's the extrapolator. It’s disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's using the Tardis. I can't stop it!” Jack explained now pressing buttons and levers outwardly at random on the console.

“Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet!” The Doctor amended, hurrying to assist Jack at the console. Ianto stood awkwardly to the side, not knowing enough about the workings of the TARDIS to continue helping himself. The door slammed open again, this time revealing a young blonde woman in her early twenties.

“What is it? What's happening?!”

“Oh, just little me.” Ianto startled in surprise as the Mayor ripped off the flesh of her arm, revealing green skin and claws underneath. She grabbed the woman around the throat without warning, wrenching her head back threateningly. “One wrong move and she snaps like a promise.”

“Rose!”

“I might've known.” The Doctor’s voice was strangely calm compared to the Captain shout of alarm, but Ianto could read the fire in the Time Lord’s eyes along with the clench of his jaw.

“I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it. You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet.

The Mayor tightened her grip on Rose's neck as she spoke and Ianto tensed. He watched silently as the Captain shared a glance with the Doctor silently requesting permission before placing the extrapolator when the latter nodded.

Ianto tuned out the Mayor’s lecture, shifting around the edge of the circular room. Everyone had seemed to have forgotten he was there, which he used to his advantage. Encouraging his powers to the surface ready, he searched for an opportunity in the Mayor’s stance, focused on rescuing Rose, the woman who would soon unknowingly grant Jack with an unwanted ability that many others would kill for.

The Mayor loosened her grip on Rose ever so slightly as she stepped onto the device, and Ianto took the opening, summoning a gust of wind and sending the extrapolator careering across the Tardis. The Mayor stumbled to regain her balance as the centre console tore open, a white bright light pouring out to encompass the area.

His eyes snapped closed, blinded by the sudden brightness, but the faint echoes of a magnificent song filled in his mind. His shields strengthened by instinct, but were nothing against the power of the TARDIS, yet there was a noticeable absence of the discomfort that usually accompanied his abilities.

Silence and darkness fell almost as quickly as it had appeared, but it took Ianto longer to recover his senses, almost mesmerised by music. Drained from his powers and the experience, Ianto slumped down onto the nearest steps. The Mayor had vanished, apparently reverted back into an egg, but Ianto scarcely registered the conversation. A few minutes later, Ianto glanced up, hearing footsteps approaching.

“Not just a pretty face then,” Jack said, sitting down beside him. Ianto tensed; he’d hoped his power had gone unnoticed in the chaos.

“What do you mean?” He returned, feigning ignorance despite knowing it was futile.

“I saw what you did with the extrapolator.” Jack pushed. “Humans can’t conjure gusts of wind like that from nowhere.”

“I’m human.” Ianto returned, tersely. “Just…different.”

“Well…sometimes normal is overrated.” Jack patted his knee reassuringly then stood. “I’ll be back in a moment with something for your hand.”

Ianto watch Jack vanish impassively. He’d in fact forgotten about his hand, his pain tolerance always having been high, but turning his hand over, he quickly spotted what Jack had. A red scorch mark had seared across his palm; it hadn’t broken the skin but was already beginning to blister.

“So, what’s your name?” Ianto hadn’t noticed the Doctor approaching, but straightened up politely in response.

“Ianto Jones, sir.”

“It’s Doctor. Not sir. An extra syllable but I’m sure you can manage.” The Doctor retorted, taking the place on the steps Jack had just left. “Now, something tells me you can help me with understanding what’s caused the disturbance in time that I’ve been sensing for the past hour.”

Ianto didn’t answer, staring down the corridor Jack had disappeared along. Ever since Tosh’s last call he’d known that this younger, mortal Jack could not be allowed to remember ever meeting him. His Jack below, currently unconscious as a result of the changing timelines, hadn’t already known about him or his powers before they’d met, and despite it probably not making a big difference considering how they’d met, knowing now was a clear paradox. He wasn’t an expert on the Laws of Time, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think it wouldn’t bring dangers to those involved.

“I know.” Ianto finally answered dejectedly. “He can’t remember me; it could change his future.” Ianto sighed. “I didn’t bring any retcon.”

“I have a way that’ll work.” The Doctor replied, clearly interpreting what he’d meant by retcon. “It can focus on removing specific memories, in this case the ones exclusively of you.”

The Captain reappeared with a rather over-extensive medical kit, quickly putting an end to any further conversations, but unfortunately, he seemed to pick up on the underlying tension in the room. He paused, looking uncertain at the grim expressions he was receiving. “What’s going on?”

“We have another problem. Timelines have been crossed.” The Doctor had kept his explanation vague but Ianto sensed as understanding instantly crossed Jack’s mind.

“It’s us, isn’t it.” Jack confirmed. “You knew me. You’re a part of my future.”

“You have to forget ever meeting him.” The Doctor explained as confirmation, his tone lined with finality, but determination reigned in both Jack’s expression and voice. However, Ianto could sense the apprehension behind the words.

“No, you don’t have to… I’ve had training for this. I can…” He trailed off, then restarted his eyes angry. “They’re _my_ memories!”

Ianto understood more than anyone what Jack meant, and it only made him feel worse. It had been years since he given up searching for the memories of his past, but he could still recall the uncertainty of spending each day scrambling for any hint, no matter how small, as to what his life had been like before he’d been imprisoned. While Jack wouldn’t lose enough to forget who he was, this Jack was a long way from his necessary but reluctant use of retcon, and he could remember a time the Captain had mentioned waking up with no recollection of the past two years, so could appreciate his wariness to lose any more.

The Doctor also appeared to be thinking upon the same lines. “I’m not the agency, Captain. You’ll still remember everything from today, just without Mr Jones’ involvement here. Remembering will result in a paradox.”

Ianto nodded grimly as Jack looked at him and then the Doctor in turn, before tearing his gaze away from them both to stare unseeingly at the wall. Eventually, Jack jerked his head in strained agreement. Ianto grasped his hand in a grim attempt at reassurance, forcing himself to watch as Jack squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation. The Doctor leaned forward slowly and lightly pressed his fingertips to Jack’s forehead. A few moments of silence followed before Jack’s face relaxed slightly and the Doctor pulled back.

“You should take him to his room.” The Doctor suggested. “He’ll need to sleep for it to fully take effect.”

“Where…?” Ianto started, but was quickly interrupted.

“Down the hallway. Pick any door, the Tardis will help you out.”

“I’m still awake you know.” Jack slurred, making Ianto jump slightly. The Captain’s eyes blinked open, clearly forcing himself to stay awake as long as possible. “I can find my own room.”

Focused on helping Jack put one foot in front of the other, he didn’t notice he’d reached a doorway until he looked up to see it looming in front of him, although part of him swore it hadn’t been there only seconds beforehand.

Jack collapsed headfirst onto a large bed with a rather contented theatrical groan, rolling over onto his back. Ianto slipped his boots from Jack’s feet, as the younger Captain grinned up at him. “I guess I’ll see you in the future, Ianto Jones. All this fuss, must be worth it.” He declared, his eyes closing as he lost the fight with consciousness. “I’ll look forward to it.”

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

Jack woke up slowly, his head throbbing in pain. The first thing he saw was Tosh’s concerned which face lit up when his eyes opened.

“Owen! He’s awake!” She yelled, looking apologetic when he winced at the volume.

Jack blinked a few times, not understanding what was going on. By degrees, he came back to himself, noting he was lying on the autopsy table, his head pillowed on a folded blanket.

Ignoring Tosh’s arm that was unsuccessfully trying to keep him lying flat, he struggled into a sitting position, taking stock of everything around him. The Hub was a mess, the ceiling had caved in places and large chunks of rubble scattered the ground, but it was clear someone had already started to clear up. The autopsy table he was on had been shoved up against the wall of the med bay evidently to shelter him from the falling debris.

His mind was hazy but evidently, he’d missed the Rift opening and the subsequent earthquake he’d been expecting. Trying to refocus on what he could remember, a memory unexpectedly pushed itself forefront, filling in the majority of the gaps for him.

“Ianto!”

Jack wavered slightly as he jumped to his feet, his legs not holding up his weight. Owen materialised in the medical bay barely in time to catch him before he collapsed.

“Are you trying to be complete idiot!” Owen scolded, lifting him back up onto the table with Tosh’s help. “Just stay still.”

“I’m fine.” Jack argued, pushing away Owen’s hands as he attempted to take his pulse. “Ianto?”

“He called a few hours ago.” Tosh replied, keeping a hand on his shoulder. “He assured everything was dealt with, whatever it was that actually happened.”

“Yeah, Teaboy’s got as tight a gob as yours when he wants to.” Owen added, ignoring Jack’s obstructions and retaking his wrist. “You want to share anything?”

Jack shook his head, attempting to stand again. He swayed slightly but this time remained upright, beginning to stagger towards the Cog door. “I need to see him.”

“Well tough.” Owen declared, trailing behind him, frustrated. “The Hub’s still on lockdown for another 18 minutes. I’m sure you can survive that long.”

Jack froze, momentarily having forgotten the lockdown, his mind automatically calculating. He remembered spending the day on edge, trying to recall each second of what was currently happening above him. Yet while he knew he’d been out a while in order to have missed the rift opening, he hadn’t expected to have been out for over 12 hours.

“Yeah.” Owen agreed, watching Jack’s expression. “You’ve might have appeared to have made a miraculous recovery, but your body’s still exhausted, so sit down and let me check you over before you collapse. _Again_.”

~

As soon as the doors clunked unlocked, Jack escaped from the Hub and Owen’s examinations. Exiting the Tourist Office, he spotted Ianto easily, his lover undoubtedly having been waiting for the Lockdown to finish himself. He was leaning against the railings at the far end of the boardwalk, staring unseeingly out of the bay.

Ianto turned Jack approached, a mask that could contest one of his own slipping into place as he smiled warmly. “Hey, you’re awake.” His voice was soft and caring, with a hint of relief. “You okay?”

“Certificate of health from Owen himself.” Jack replied. “I think he’s currently now kicking himself trying to understand how on Earth it’s possible.”

Ianto turned back to the bay. “Sorry I couldn’t be there. When Tosh called to say you’d collapsed, I…”

“I remember.”

The words burst from his mouth before he could change his mind and Ianto’s gaze snapped back to his in surprise. Jack read the confusion in his eyes and felt the need to clarify. “I mean not before, but now, when I woke up.”

“How…?”

“I don’t know, but the mind is a complicated thing.” Jack paused, thinking. “It’d weird. It’s like I’ve got two conflicting memories for the same event.”

Jack sensed Ianto’s guilt radiating almost as his own. He knew the feeling of being trapped with having to make impossible choices for the benefit of others, and would never wish for others to be placed in that position.

“You did the right thing.” Jack assured. “The paradox meant I would have eventually faded away. It would have changed our past and while I’d like to think not by much, but we couldn’t have controlled how it did.”

“I know.” Ianto replied softy. “But it still doesn’t feel like it.”

“Sometimes the right thing still has its consequences, but that doesn’t change the facts. It had to be done.” Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto’s shoulder, pulling him closer. “Plus, I never even realised I was missing out on anything, or more unfortunately, missing out on knowing you.”

**Notes: Next up – both Jack and Ianto have a surprise for the other in the last chapter Part two. Please Reviews. Hope you enjoyed my twist of Boomtown!**


	21. Chapter 20: Time Will Reveal (2005)

**TITLE:** The Power of New Beginnings

 **SUMMARY:** AU VERSE! After the events of Beauty of a Broken Angel, can Ianto balance recovering from his imprisonment, controlling his powers, and working for Torchwood Three, all while struggling to understand his growing feelings for Jack. Closely follows Pre-season Canon in later chapters.

 **PART TWO OF SERIES: **The Five Elements (AU Verse) 

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

 **Words:** 1400

 **Notes:** Final Chapter of Part 2!

* * *

**Chapter 20: Time Will Reveal**

26th _ June  _ _ 2005 _

The damage to the Hub’s interior caused by the Rift, Jack reluctantly agreed was too substantial to restore themselves and had consequently hired the same workers that’d repaired the Plass to finish the work for them. The job took nearly all the remainder of the week to complete, although Ianto had a suspicion that the time had been longer than required due to an additional task Jack was keeping suspiciously on the down low.

The Hub had been a bustle of activity all almost all hours of the day, meaning the Torchwood Team had had to find another base to work, away from the main area, as well as trying to keep as much of their operations as secret as possible. Plus, of course, the Rift hadn’t helped, becoming more active in response to being forced open.

Finally, however, when Ianto arrived through the Cog door the Sunday morning, he released a sigh of relief at the sight of the Hub being back to its usual level of activity.

“The workers all gone?” Ianto asked, taking off his overcoat as he saw the Captain’s head appear from out his bunker.

“Yep, all finished!” Jack bounced out of his office rather overenthusiastically. “I slipped each personnel some retcon in their last round of drinks and their payments are all in the post.”

“They certainly did a good job.” Ianto agreed, looking around. It looked almost identical to before, like nothing had ever happened.

“Come on, then!” Jack called, bounding past him, and vanishing behind the base of the Water Tower. "I know you’ve been curious. I’ve got something to show you.”

Ianto followed Jack to where he was waiting, discovering at large stone platform that hadn’t been there before. Jack stood on top of it, eagerly gesturing for him to join.

“Jack, what…?”

“Wait for it...” Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto’s waist, pulling him closer so he could press a button on his VM his other hand. “Going up!”

The stone block lurched under his feet, the suddenly it was rising steady upwards. Jack laughed triumphantly in his ear, and looking up, Ianto watched as the central paving stone that formed part of the Plass receded backward underneath the next, leaving a gap above them.

Slowly, the platform rose through the hole, halting with a loud clunk once it reached ground level. Ianto found himself in the middle of the Plass, directly in front of the Water Tower, surrounded by the crowds of weekend tourists.

“Jack! We’re right out in the open! People might see us.”

“Relax, Ianto.” Jack didn’t look at all concerned. “Do they look like they can see us?”

Ianto observed the early morning crowd more closely. A few eyes skipped past their direction, but none of them seemed to notice and he felt a sudden déja-vu moment from a similar situation with the TARDIS the other day.

“It’s like the TARDIS.” Ianto shared aloud. “Why...?”

“Good old classic perception filter. I’d say when the TARDIS landed right near this spot, it welded it’s perception properties to the Rift.” Jack explained, with the same amount of energy Ianto would have expected from his Niece and Nephew. “Though ‘Invisible Lift’ sounds a lot more interesting don’t you think?”

“Officially, I think that only you could be the oldest human in history, and still behave like a child.” Ianto ribbed and thought he might have imagined Jack’s face falling a touch if he couldn’t read him empathically. “Although, I’m inclined to agree that we could do with another secret entrance to the Hub, if say the others ever become compromised.”

“Exactly!” Jack exclaimed. He pressed his VM again and the lift reversed, lowering back down into the Hub. “What do you think the others will think?”

“I doubt Owen and Suzie will really take too much of an interest. Outwardly at least.” Ianto answered, ensuring the platform had fully stopped before he stepped off. “But I’m fairly sure Tosh will want to know how it’s designed.”

“She can examine the schematics all she wants.” Jack said, heading back to his office, Ianto picking up a file from the inside pocket of his coat before following. Jack eyes fell on the file as he entered, and he passed it over.

“What’s this?”

Ianto simply nodded towards the file, and Jack opened it to reveal a few still-images of himself, Rose, The Doctor and Mickey, taken from different CCTV cameras.

While the one of them standing at the top of the entrance stairwell in City Hall was unexpected enough, even more so was the snap-shot of the four of them at the restaurant where they’d stopped for lunch, before all the events of the mayor had been revealed. Jack glanced over the top of the image, intrigued.

“I tracked your movements, the younger you I mean, back from City Hall.” Ianto nodded towards the second image, where his younger self was laughing and gesticulating wildly. “You look happy.”

“I was.” Jack answered truthfully. ”It was the first time in a long time that I’d ever felt I’d belonged somewhere.”

“Oh. I just got...” Ianto began indecisively. “I mean, I don’t know if I was right. I couldn’t read anything from the Doctor, his shields were too strong, but I thought I got the impression there was a lot of distrust in the air. From the Doctor primarily, but you didn’t seem too bothered, like it was normal between the two of you.”

Jack shifted awkwardly, not looking up from the image, and Ianto backtracked. “You don’t have too…”

“No, it’s alright. You were right, and yes it was normal, but it wasn’t like there wasn’t a reason for it.” Jack replied softly. He placed the photos down gently and faced Ianto properly. “You deserved to know. The truth is I wasn’t always the best person, especially after I lost my memories. I started running cons and was so focused on getting retaliation against the Time Agency, that I didn’t think much on any consequences I was causing.”

“You were angry.” Ianto established.

“And out for myself for a long while.” Jack added, nodding. “When I first met the Doctor and Rose in 1941, the first time I was there in that year, I thought they were from the Agency and without realising the con I was running against them almost resulted in wiping out the whole of London.”

Jack paused, lost in memories for a moment before continuing. “Rose was caught up in my hero act after I’d saved her, that I faked it. I faked it hard.” He continued. “I was adamant what I was trying to sell them was empty, that it wasn’t the cause of the outbreak, but the Doctor wasn’t swayed. He proved it wasn’t as empty as I’d believed, and I was horrified. I hadn’t meant for anyone to get hurt so when the Doctor figured how to reverse what had happened and I had the chance to be the real hero…”

“You took it.” Ianto deduced.

Jack nodded again. “The Doctor made me realise what I was doing and made me want to be better, to prove I was more than just my act. Afterwards, they could have left me behind to die. I probably even deserved it back then.” He expressed modestly. “But they didn’t. They gave me a second chance. But yes, The Doctor still didn’t always trust me.”

“How long did you travel with him before…?”

“The exact times hard to calculate, but about 5-6 months before we ended up on the game station.” Jack speculated. “Two months or so between meeting him and the events of yesterday.”

“The other you... Something else was different about him that I wanted to talk to you about." Ianto asked and Jack looked up, confused at the change of subject. “The spark I’ve always felt around you. You thought it might have been because you were from the 51 Century…”

“…but with other me you didn’t feel it.” Jack finished for him, frowning in concentration. “Only other reason is because of my immortality. Did you sense anything else, maybe instead of it?”

“Nothing.” Ianto shook his head. “Other than my head almost exploding when the Rift opened.”

“Sometimes it feels like we only ever get more questions.” Jack sighed, dejectedly. “Maybe one day I might get answers. Perhaps for both of us.”

“And in the meantime?” Ianto asked, despite knowing the answer.

“We keep watching. Keep doing what we do.”

**Notes: Thanks so much for getting this far with me. Next Part might take a while due to Uni but I promise I will get there. Planning to start writing during Easter Holidays! In the next part you can expect Canary Wharf and the fall out, more developments from Suzie and of course more reveals on Ianto’s past. Will follow Season 1 at times, but with some adjustments and skipped/ replaced episodes. Gwen will most likely appear as well, but her full characterisation and entrance hasn’t been decided yet, so any ideas are welcome! Defo no Gwack – well maybe one sided, and we all know which side!**


End file.
